


Protection

by VillainousShakespeare



Category: Wallander (UK TV), Wallander (UK TV) RPF
Genre: Actor Tom Hiddleston, Begging, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Undertones, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Handcuffs, Non-Consensual Spanking, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Police, Rough Sex, Sex, Slow Burn, Stalking, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2019-07-16 23:25:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 73,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16081760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VillainousShakespeare/pseuds/VillainousShakespeare
Summary: Against his wishes, Magnus is assigned an undercover case to protect a witness and bring down a criminal. He gets more than he bargins for with his protectee.This starts with a slow burn, but I promise there will be smutty goodness in upcoming chapters!





	1. The assignment

It wasn’t his fault he was young, Magnus thought as he pulled his car into the parking lot of the police station. He also couldn’t help it if he had looks that women (and quite a few men) seemed to consider handsome. Despite what certain people seemed to think, his looks were not the reason he had risen so quickly through the ranks to become the youngest detective on the Ystrad police force. If anything his blond curls, baby face, and bright blue eyes were a hurdle he had to overcome. 

He was a good cop. Methodical, persistent, and focused, he tended to play things by the rule books, but really, shouldn’t that be a good thing for a law enforcement officer? No one had to question whether his gun was fired inappropriately when he was forced to take out a perpetrator, thank you very much. If he didn’t have the intuition of certain other, older cops, well what could they expect when he had twenty years less experience? Surely even the great Kurt Wallander hadn’t been a mastermind at tywenty six. 

All he wanted was a little respect. He deserved to be given a real case with real responsibilities. He was going to talk to Lisa about it today. He was sick of being given the shit work by everyone just because he was younger. How was he supposed to learn if they didn’t let him do anything!

Rounding the corner into the squad room, determined set to his chiseled jaw line, Magnus saw his coworkers assembled around a table. Lisa, their comanding officer, had a file in her hands and stood at the head. Kurt and Anne-Britt sat on one side, listening to her. They all stopped and turned to look at him as he came into the room. 

“Nice of you to join us,” Kurt grumbled. 

“I’m three minutes early,” Magnus said defensively, then cursed internally for rising to the bait. Don’t engage, he reminded himself. It was just what the old bastard wanted.

Turning around the chair across from Anne-Brit and straddling the back of it, gave her and Lisa each a sunny smile and ignored the man in the room. 

“What have we got?” He asked. 

“An analyst was murdered at a high tech data company last night. He was found by an assistant who was working late with his throat sliced. We think he may have stumbled upon something those higher up in the company wanted hidden.”

”Such as?” He asked. If the case involved technology, he knew he would be neck deep in it. God knew Kurt could barely open his own email. 

“Identity theft, for starters,” Anne-Brit replied. “The firm collects data from some of the most exclusive organizations in the EU.”

”They’ve already killed once to keep whatever they’re doing secret,” Kurt mumbled. “Who knows what else they might do.”

”And the witness?” He asked. 

“We had a stroke of luck there,” Anne-Brit said, though she didn’t exactly look happy about it. “Turns out I know her. She’s the daughter of an old friend of mine, I was like a big sister to her growing up.”

”She’s willing to help us,” Lisa added. 

“Help us how?” He asked. 

“Lanie is the assistant to the CEO of the company. She has classified access to all company records, at least the ones they admdit to. And more than that,” Anne-Britt added with a grimace, “she seems to think her boss is rather... um... taken with her. She’s actually been thinking of quitting her job as it’s gotten a bit uncomfortable with his attention to her.”

”She’s agreed to spy on him for us,” Lisa continued the narrative, filling in the two men. “You must have heard of Erik Haas?”

“Of course,” Magnus confirmed immediately. “He’s notoriously secretive.”

”Which is why her help is so vital. We think Haas is directly involved in the opperation.”

”He’s throwing a very exclusive house party in a week,” Anne-Brit said. “As his assistant, Lanie will be there as half guest, half worker. More importantly, she’s allowed to bring a date. Lucky for us, she’s currently single.”

”A date?” Kurt scoffed.

”We need someone to go with her, undercover as her escort, and do some digging around. Also, since she will be snooping herself, it’s important to me that she has protection backing her up.”

”If she really works for this man, and he’s so paranoid, won’t he know she’s not seeing anyone?”

”That’s why we have a week to arrange a very public, whirlwind courtship,” Lisa let the shoe drop, turning to look at Magnus, who felt his jaw drop to the floor.

“What? No way!” He refused.

“She will be at Doyel’s bar tonight. You will pick her up there and sweep her off her feet.”

”You can’t be serious?” He demanded. “I know that bar. I go there. People will recognize me.”

”Exactly,” Anne-Brit replied, “so it won’t look suspicious at all to anyone if you leave with a girl. Hardly the first time.”

Magnus blushed. He hadn’t realized his coworkers knew he was a bit of a flirt. He tried to keep things all business at work.

”I’ll do it,” Kurt said suddenly. Perversely Magnus was irritated. He might not want this case, but wasn’t it just like Kurt to try and take it away from him. “Martinsson’s too green. The girl will need someone experienced protecting her.”

Lisa and Anne-Brit exchanged worried, uncomfortable looks.  

“Kurt,” Lisa said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder, “I’m afraid that just won’t work. The girl is twenty five... this has to be believable.”

Magnus smiled smugly as the older man’s face reddened.

”So come on, pretty boy,” Anne-Brit teased him, “time to put those luscious curls and baby blues to work.”

So that was it. They didn’t wany him for his skills as a cop, but for his looks. Fucking perfect.

”What exactly am I supposed to do?” He asked with resignation.

”I’d think you would know that better than any of us,” Anne-Brit smiled.

”Talk to the girl, make it look believable,” Lisa instructed. “Take her home and keep her safe. Play the besotted playboy for the week until the party. Try not to let her out of your sight any more than you have to.”

”And how far am I to take this little charade?” He asked. “Am I expected to whore myself out to make him buy it?”

”If you have to,” Anne-Brit told him, looking serious. “I care about this girl, Magnus.”

”Well,” Kurt huffed, “looks like there’s finally a job you’re suited for.”

***

Lanie took another sip of her wine and looked around the bar. Had he decided not to come after all? Anne had admitted that he was less than thrilled by the assignment. She wasn’t particularly looking forward to it herself. 

Still, she had to do something. You didn’t discover a dead, obviously murdered, colleague and then go blithely about your business. At least, she didn’t. She had called Anne, sat down, given herself five minutes to have a breakdown, then pulled herself back together and tried to think of who would want Micah dead.

She knew something untoward was going on with the company. There had been too many odd occurrences of late. Meetings kept deliberately off the books, files even she was not allowed to touch, let alone read. And Erik, not completely stable to begin with, had become a borderline stalker, asking inappropriate questions one minute and yelling at her for answering his phone, part of her job, the next.

When he had insisted on joining her and her coworker Holly for drinks tonight, “to make sure she was really okay after her ordeal last night” she had panicked. Anne, however, thought it was perfect. Having him witness her initial meeting with Magnus first hand would help convince him it was real. They just had to sell it.

”Ready for another?” Erik asked her, hand caressing her arm and making her cringe. 

“I’m still working on this one,” she answered, continuing to nurse her drink. “Looks like Holly could use one though.”

He gave her a thin smile and made his way to the bar, Holly following in his wake. Lanie thought her friend might have a crush on their dark haired boss. If only he would return her feelings, instead of focusing his attention on Lanie! But then, if he really was involved in Micah’s death Lanie didn’t want Holly anywhere near him.

For the millionth time Lanie’s eyes swept the bar. She was glad her recent trauma gave her an excuse for appearing jumpy, as she was obviously on edge waiting for the unknown detective who was to be her constant companion for the foreseeable future. God help her.

Anne had not exactly been comforting. When Lanie asked her how she would recognize Martinsson, the older woman had smiled devilishly and given a short laugh. 

“You’ve been to Florence on holiday, yah?” she asked, obscurely. Lanie nodded. She was an artist in her other life, when realities of work and rent gave her time to indulge her passion. “Well, when you see one of Michelangelo’s statues come to life walk in, that’s him.”

”What exactly do you mean?”

”Just keep your eyes open for a tall blond. He’s seen your picture; he’ll approach you.”

Now, as a gust of frigid air blew in from the opened door, Lanie saw that her old friend had not exaggerated. Standing in the doorway rubbing warmth back into his cold hands was an artist’s dream. 6’2” of long, lean muscles, ice blue intelligent eyes, and tousled blond curls that gave him the look of an cherub, but one all grown up and ready to sin. She instantly itched to paint him. Preferably nude, an errant thought raced through her mind before she could stop it.

Lanie watched the tall man survey the room, a frown on his slightly petulant lips. Around the bar people were starting to turn in his direction.

”Magnus,” bellowed the bartender, “shut the damn door! What, were you born in a barn?”

Magnus shook himself, closed the door behind him, and then turned to smile at the bartender. Lanie thought her heart had stopped. It was like the sun had come up when that smile lit his face. 

“Sorry, Jan,” he said, crossing the room and shaking hands with the man in greeting. “The cold addled my brains.”

”Beer to warm you up then,” the barman said, pouring him a pint.

Lanie realizes she was staring and tore her eyes away. This man was supposed to come over and hit on her? And it was supposed to be believable? Were they crazy? It would be obvious to anyone that all he needed to do was stand there and women would flock to him. Even now she could see the waitess trying to catch his eye as he leaned back against the bar and took a pull from his glass.

Checking to see that Erik and Holly were at the other end, Lanie rose and made her way to the bar next to him. Lord, he was tall! He had almost a foot on her, and she had never been one for heels. She stood there for a minute, as though waiting for the bartender’s attention, and felt him turn to look at her.

She looked up, and for a moment his eyes met hers with what looked to be hostility. Before she could be sure though it had passed and he smiled at her. Even knowing it was all an act Lanie’s stomach did a little flip as their eyes met.

”Hello darling,” he said in a voice like melted chocolate. “You look like you could use a refill. Let’s see if we can’t get Jan’s attention. I’m Magnus, by the way.”

”Lanie,” she replied. Good lord, she was doomed.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I discovered Wallander, and more to the point Magnus, recently. I decided there wasn’t enough of him here, so this is my attempt to add to his appreciation. A bit if a slow burn to start, but don’t worry - there will be smut to come!


	2. The First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Lanie meet and begin the charade that they are falling for each other. Can they keep up appearances? And can they keep it a charade?

Magnus stood in the doorway and scanned the bar. He had done so a hundred times before, but this time was different. This time would not be a simple relaxing evening with a few pints, waiting for some obliging woman to come up to him and chat him up. They inevitably did, usually the tall, flashy ones who were a little miffed that he had not bothered to approach them. But he knew this game, he was good at it. The same woman who would shoot him down if he approached her first would be all but begging for him to take her home if he ignored her. Sometimes he did, sometimes not; it depended on his mood.

Tonight was different though. Tonight he needed to approach the girl, his protectee, his “babysitting job” as Kurt had scornfully called it. Magnus was torn about how he felt. On the one hand, he was glad to finally be given some responsibility. On the other, being chosen to watch over some ditzy female because she might find him attractive was not exactly the job he had in mind.

Jan’s loud, scolding voice shook him out of his stupor and he crossed to the bar. He was not normally one to drink on the job but, well, this was not your normal case and he had been told to make it look convincing.

Sipping his lager he went back to his perusal of the room. There she was, sitting by herself in a booth at the back of the room. She was not at all the type who he usually met here. She had dark blond hair that she allowed to curl naturally, no blow out or chemicals, and little makeup on her face, just some light eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss. Her face was open and a little anxious. Well, she had just stumbled upon a gruesome crime scene, he supposed. It was only natural she was scared. Glancing over at her again he found himself warming to the idea of being the protector. It appealed to his sense of chivalry, the same instincts that had driven him to become a cop. He was just contemplating how best to approach her when she gave a little shrug of her shoulders, stood up, and walked over to stand next to him at the bar.

Jan grinned at him, clearly assuming she was just the latest young woman to take a crack at the elusive Detective Martinsson. It made him angry, for some reason. Usually he wouldn’t care what his friend thought, if anything he would be feeling smug that once again he was being sought out, but tonight it ate at him. Did everyone see him as nothing more than a fuckboy? 

Bringing his mind back to the job at hand, he looked down at the girl standing next to him. Down, it turned out, was the appropriate word. The top of her head didn’t even come up to the bottom of his chin. She was not one of the waify, anorexic looking girls you saw so often these days, but instead looked like an actress out of one of those old movies his mother loved. She was built like a 1940’s bombshell, he found himself thinking. Her legs were long for her short height, and her little plaid skirt and black boots showed them off nicely. She had slim hips, and oh my, those breasts! They were full and round and would fill even his large hands. 

 _Eyes up_ , _detective_ , he reprimanded himself, he should not be ogling his protectee. _Then again_ , a little voice in his head argued persuasively, _he was supposed to be selling a seduction here._ Telling himself it was all in the line of duty he let his gaze wander back down to her most noticeable assets.

”Hello darling,” he let his voice drip for the sake of Jan’s listening ears, “it looks like you could use a refill. Let’s see if we can get Jan’s attention. I’m Magnus, by the way.”

”Lanie,” she said, and blushed adorably.

”Jan,” Magnus flagged down his friend, “a glass of wine for the lady. On my tab.”

”Pinot grigio, right?” Jan asked, raising his eyebrows higher than Magnus thought was warrented. “I just need to go in the back and get another case. Mags, watch the bar for me.”

Without waiting for an answer Jan disappeared into the back room. Magnus looked back at Lanie, who was chewing on her lower lip. He was aware of a nagging irritation that she had been the one to initiate their meeting. It felt too much like the usual, rather tawdry way his nights often ended rather than the way to begin an altruistic assignment.

”I believe you were told I was to approach you, Miss Greyson,” he reprimanded her brusquely. “In the future, you'll have to learn to obey commands if this is to be a satisfactory affair.”

As her eyes flew to his face Magnus realized how his words could be interpreted. Good lord, what was wrong with him? This was a traumatized witness he was sent to protect, not some tart he had taken home for the night. Yes, they were about to embark on a sham relationship where certain liberties would have to be taken, but there was no need to bring his own... _tendencies_ into situation.

"And you will have to learn to look at me with something other than reproach, detective, if we want anyone to believe our story," she said it briskly, though she was still blushing.

Magnus realized that he was rather glowering at her. Really, it wasn't her fault he was in this ridiculous position. "You're right, Lanie, forgive me," relaxing, he looked down at her with his most melting smile and was rewarded with her blush deepening. He couldn't help a touch of smugness returning to his smile as he draped his arm along the back of her bar stool. 

"I trust you didn't come alone?" he asked. "In order for our deception to work, someone needs to witness it."

"Oh, of course," she stammered. "My friend Holly, from Haas Enterprises," she pointed down the bar, where a tall brunet with a pixie cut was trying to get her attention. He smiled, and then noticed the tall, skinny man standing next to her. "And that's Haas," Lanie added unnecessarily. "He insisted on coming with us."

"So we're off to the races," he remarked, as the two made their way down the bar to where Magnus and Lanie sat. 

Eric Haas immediately set Magnus' teeth on edge. Haas was tall, though not, he was please to say, as tall as Magnus himself, and seemed to be all skin and bone. His dark hair was cut in a simple but obviously expensive style, and the same could be said for his suit, far too fancy for a dive bar like the one they were in now. The proprietary look he shot at Lanie told Magnus everything he needed to know about the other man's feelings for his assistant. Shifting subtly, Magnus angled his body so that his feet were on either side of Lanie's bar stool, facing her. While not quite touching her, he was aggressively in her personal space, and used his superior size to stake his claim to her attention. Haas' lip curled as he took in the situation.

"Lanie, why didn't you come join us," Holly asked, looking coyly back and forth from Magnus to her friend, obviously inferring what the answer was.

"I didn't see you down there," Lanie replied, with blatant falsehood.

"Bartender," Haas snapped in an obnoxiously superior tone as Jan returned, setting Lanie's glass of wine, which was a very friendly poor, down in front of her. "Put the lady's wine on my tab."

"Not necessary, chum," Jan smiled back at him. Magnus could tell his friend had the same gut reaction to the man that he did. "Detective Martinsson here has already taken care of it."

"Ooh, detective?" Holly asked, eyes lighting up as she looked at Magnus with renewed interest.

"Magnus," he corrected, extending his hand. She smiled and shook it, glancing at Lanie again with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm Holly," she introduced herself, "and this is Erik Haas. And it seems you already met Lanie."

"Indeed I have," he purred, smiling down again at Lanie. Haas nearly growled in response.

"There is no need for you to waste your hard earned money, detective," Haas sneered at him, "I have more than enough, and told the ladies that I would be covering their bill tonight."

"Ah, but there was need," Magnus said, smiling smugly at his nemesis. "You see," he turned to Holly and winked at her, "I'm bribing the lady."

"Bribing?" Holly asked right on cue. Bless her.

"I needed someone to play darts with," he extemporized on the spot, "and your charming friend agreed to humor me in return for a glass of Jan's finest white."

Jan, behind the bar, scoffed at this. All of his wine was subpar, and he knew it. 

"Ooh, I love darts," Holly enthused. "Let's play teams!"

"Fine," Magnus agreed quickly. It was not what he had intended, but it would do. "Lanie, would you do me the honor?"

"Of course," she agreed, smiling up at him with her large, dark blue eyes. God, he thought, were they to ever have a child the poor bastard wouldn't have a chance. Between the curls and the blue eyes they each sported, they would be cursed even worse than Magnus was! _And where did that thought come from?_ he asked himself. _Get your head in the game!_

 ***

This was like one of her worst nightmares come to life, Lanie thought as they made their way over to the side of the room where the dart boards hung on the wall. Well, maybe not one of the worst ones. There were no spiders falling on her head, and she wasn't being told over and over how much of a disappointment she was to her family, but still, it was up there. She had to be one of the most uncoordinated people, at least until she picked up a paint brush. She didn't understand it herself, but when she had a brush in her hand was the only time said hands didn't shake. And now she was expected to throw deadly, pointed objects in a slightly tipsy state - she was on her third glass of wine with no food, and Jan had been filling her glass _very_ kindly. To make matters worse, she would be being watched by her boss, who may or may not be a murderer, but was definitely infatuated with her, and the most ridiculously handsome man she had ever met who was definitely _not_ infatuated with her, but had to somehow believably convince people he was. She would be lucky if she didn't end up blinding someone.

Holly, it turned out, might love darts but was easily just as bad as Lanie. She was also, Lanie realized, quite a bit more drunk. She had been downing vodka cranberries two for every one of Lanie's drinks, so this was not really a surprise. It made Lanie feel a bit better, though, when Holly's dart did not even hit the board, but bounced off the wall a foot away.

"Whoops!" Holly grinned, "Sorry boss!"

Erik rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed to be playing this game. But, since the alternative was to let Magnus and Lanie play by themselves he was deigning to lower himself. It turned out he was quite good. His first dart hit just to the outside of center. His smile was superior and Lanie found herself actually hoping that he had been the one to slit Micah's throat, so that she would have the satisfaction of sending him to jail. As good as Erik was, however, Magnus was better. He barely even looked at the board before sending the dart dead center into the bull's eye.

"Well damn!" Holly laughed as Magnus grinned at her. "Someone's a dart hustler!"

"Why don't you just play for both of us?" Lanie suggested, dreading the moment, now arrived, where she would have to display her inadequacy.

"Have you played before?" Magnus asked, walking over to her.

"A couple times in our garage," Lanie shrugged. "Never well."

"It's really just a matter of centering yourself," he told her, coming to stand behind her. He reached down around her and lifted her right arm, pulling her back into his body. His left arm curled around her waist, holding her hips steady against him while he guided her throwing arm back and forth, his big hand closed over her much smaller one. His body was bent over her, his mouth talking in her ear as he moved her like a doll. "Look at the board over the top of the dart. Take a deep breath. When you get to here," he moved her hand forward a bit, rocking into her, "release."

Letting him guide her, trying to ignore the warmth that was gathering in her core, Lanie threw the dart and was rewarded when it stuck into the board, not in the center but only two rings from it. 

"See," Magnus smiled, and before she knew what was happening, he planted a small kiss on the side of her neck, his glancing tongue sending shivers through her whole body, "it's not so hard."

"Now that's a shame," Holly quipped, and giggled, earning glares from Lanie and Haas.

Lanie quickly stepped away from Magnus, blushing furiously. This was an act. She knew this was an act. She had to keep reminding herself of it, though, because the dampness pooling between her legs seemed to have other ideas. 

"I'll be right back," she excused herself. "Ladies' room."

"Me too!" Holly echoed, and grabbed Lanie's arm to whisk her off.

"What the ever-loving HELL Lanie!" Holly screeched once they got into the ladies'. "He is SO HOT!!!!"

"Magnus?" Lanie asked, as if she didn't know.

"Yes Magnus!" Holly squealed. "How did miss never talk to anyone ever get the nerve up to randomly strike up a conversation with tall blond hottie of a cop?!? One, I might add, who is totally into you!"

"You think?" Lanie asked, feeling her blush deepen. _It's an act!_ She told herself. _He doesn't even really want to be here. At least not with me._

"Um, obviously!" Holly gushed. "Oh man, you have all the luck! First Haas is all taken with you, then Mr. Detective practically humps you in the middle of the bar! That's it. I'm getting a boob job!"

"Holly!" Lanie laughed. "You do not need a boob job! And trust me, these are more trouble than they're worth!"

"Tell that to the manly policeman who can't stop staring down your top," Holly chuckled.

"Really?" Lanie couldn't help asking.

"Um, yes really!" Holly rolled her eyes. "He's been undressing you with his eyes for the last half hour. Definitely a boob man. I swear, Lanie, if you don't jump on that I will kidnap him with his own gun and handcuff him to his bed until I am completely satisfied!"

Holly's words brought back Lanie's own thoughts from earlier in the evening. When Magnus had spoken of Lanie "obeying commands" she had found her brain jumping to a very vivid image of her lying naked on a bed, handcuffed to the headboard, while Magnus stood over her ordering her to spread her legs. She could feel her cheeks turn scarlet as she played the image again.

"Oh my god, you really like him! Mr. Detective Magnus with the pretty blond curls," Holly laughed.

Lanie started to deny it, then remembered that the whole point of this evening was to establish the two of them as enamored with each other. Magnus had been doing his part, convincing Holly at least that he was smitten with her. The least Lanie could do was not deny the attraction.

"Yeah, I think I really do," she confessed, wishing it was as much of a lie as it was supposed to be. "Now let me pee, and let's get back out there before he and Haas kill each other."

 

 

 


	3. All a Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Lanie must convince Haas that they are falling for each other. They also must convince themselves that they are not.

Magnus was not a violent man by nature, but he decided that if the ladies didn't come back from the bathroom soon he would very happily put a dart through Haas' disdainful eye. He was more than ready to believe the man guilty of any crime he could think of. The way he leered at Lanie made Magnus' skin crawl.

"I don't know what you're playing at detective," Haas said to him when they were alone, "but you should know that Lanie is spoken for. You can leave off your attentions now."

"Well I'm playing at darts," Magnus replied with smug grin. "But as for Lanie, she's a grown woman and there's no ring on her finger. If she wants me to leave her alone she can say so. But it seems to me she's enjoying my attentions. As am I."

It was true. He had even forgotten for a few minutes, as he helped her with her shot, that he was on assignment. She had felt so good in his arms, so nice and soft, and her hair smelled delicious, like vanilla and strawberries. It had been the most natural thing in the world to lean down and let his lips graze her neck. That he added his tongue to the caress had surprised even him. He would have to watch himself not to get lost in the part.

"I don't think you realize who I am, Martinsson," Haas said with an unmistakable threat in his voice.

"Oh, I know all about who you are," Magnus told him, not elaborating further. "Another drink?"

"No, thank you," Haas made a face at the drink in his hand.

Magnus sauntered over to the bar and ordered another round for the girls and a beer for himself. Jan looked at him curiously. 

"Never known you to foot the bill, Mags," he said with a laugh. "Of course, I understand wanting to put that smarmy arse in his place. That why you're putting the moves on the little thing? Must say it's strange  to watch"

"What do you mean," Magnus bristled. "It's hardly like she's the first girl you've seen me talk to in here."

"Yeah, but she's not exactly your type, now is she?" Jan asked. 

"What do you mean, she's pretty!" Magnus protested, feeling offended on Lanie's behalf.

"Oh, I know she is," Jan agreed. "In fact, I think she's a big step up from the slags you usually go off with. Bit of something behind her eyes. Still, you can't deny you usually leave with the tall, willowy things, all done up and chic."

"Magnus," he heard Lanie's voice from behind him. He turned around quickly to see her standing there, a strained smile on her face. Damn, how much had she heard? Not that it really mattered, he supposed. After all, the whole relationship was for show. Still, he didn't want her to think he was gossiping about her.

"I was beginning to think you escaped out a window," Magnus said.

"Holly gets chatty when she's had a few," she apologized. "Well, chattier."

"Want to get some air?" he asked, slipping an arm around her shoulders.

"Sure," she said with a small smile. 

"Jan, watch our drinks."

Magnus led Lanie out into the cold night air. He wasn't sure why, but he had needed to get out of that bar. Away from Haas' threats and Jan's questions. He looked down at her and realized that she was shivering. Damn, he didn't know how he had forgotten she was wearing a light weight, scoop necked top when he had been staring down it all night. She really did have extraordinary cleavage. Magnus took his blazer off and draped it over her shoulders.

"I just wanted to apologize, about the way I spoke to you at the beginning of the night," he said. 

"You have nothing to apologize for," she smiled. "I didn't follow instructions. I'm not used to this sort of thing. And I'm sure this isn't how you would prefer to spend your evenings."

"I can think of worse ways," he shrugged, grinning lopsidedly at her. He had maneuvered her in front of the windows. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Haas watching them from inside. It was perfect timing. Leaning in he threaded his fingers through the back of her hair and pulled her up onto her toes to meet his descending lips. Lanie gasped a little in surprise and he seized the opportunity to slide his tongue into her mouth. After a moment of stunned stillness she began responding to his kiss, her arms lifting up to reach around his neck. His free arm pulled her closer and he felt her breasts crush into his chest. It suddenly didn't seem so cold out any more. For a few minutes Magnus let himself get lost in the kiss, tongue mingling with hers as he tasted the tart wine she had been drinking, until a telltale stirring in his jeans brought him abruptly back to his senses. He pulled away and planted one last chaste kiss on her lips, hoping she had missed the swelling in his groin.

"That aught to do it," he murmured, glancing in the window to see Haas fuming and Holly grinning at them. "Shall we go back in?"

"Sure," she replied, and smiled at him again. He wished he felt as composed as she obviously was. It was going to be a long two weeks.

*** 

Lanie struggled to keep the calm smile plastered to her face while inside she was a roiling mass of confusion. When she had walked back up to him in the bar, only to hear his buddy describing the chic, willowy girls he normally dated she had felt her heart plummet to her toes. She had been right in the first place. No one would ever believe that someone like him, handsome, confident, quick, would be interested in her. She was artsy and cute, not glamorous or provocative. 

She was intensely grateful when he brought her outside. She didn't think she could face Haas and his wandering hands, or Jan and his confused looks. Then Magnus had kissed her and it was as though she had stepped into the pages of a fairy tale. It was tender and sweet at first, then bold and insistent when he added his tongue, and she had loved every minute, wantonly pressing herself into his muscled chest. It was only when he pulled away that she remembered that the whole evening was an act, a performance meant to convince Haas that they were an item. Of course he would have kissed her right in front of the window where Erik could see. It was all part of the plan.

Lanie let Magnus drape his arm around her again and lead her back inside, his blazer still wrapped around her, hanging down ridiculously past her knees, longer than her skirt. She must look like a child, she thought. By silent agreement they abandoned the dart game and went back to the booth. She supposed Magnus had already achieved the double purpose of proving the superiority of his aim and using it as an excuse for physical contact with her. Against her will she found herself wondering how many other woman he had used that technique on, curling his long body around them under the guise of teaching them the skills of the game. Holly was now dozing in the corner of the booth and Erik was looking through his emails on his phone. Magnus grabbed their drinks and steered them back to the table, pulling her down on his lap when he sat. She wondered if he was feeling the alcohol. She thought he was only on his second beer, but he seemed to be swaying a bit. Erik looked up and glared at them as Magnus ran the fingers of one hand in little patterns over Lanie's knee while he sipped his beer.

"It seems Holly is a little worse for wear," Erik grumbled, pushing her off of his shoulder. "Detective, I don't suppose you would mind taking her home? As part of your civic duty to protect, of course. I can see to it that Lanie makes it back to her apartment, she's on my way home."

Lanie knew for a fact that she lived in the opposite direction as Haas, and was fairly certain he knew this as well. She was about to protest, but Magnus just smiled.

"I'm off duty, Haas," he smiled. "But we can make sure Holly gets safely into a cab, if you're okay with that, Lanie."

"That should be fine," Lanie agreed. "I don't think she's really that drunk, just sleepy. Right Holly?" Lanie threw a napkin at her friend who opened her eyes, nodded, and closed them again. "She gets like this whenever she drinks."

"Fine," Erik huffed. "But that still leaves you. I can see you home."

"There's only one problem with that, Haas," Magnus smiled.

"And what would that be?" Erik asked bitingly.

"Lanie's not going home," Magnus said with a grin, sliding his hand up Lanie's leg under her skirt. She shrieked and knew she blushed but Lanie kept herself from removing his hand. A wave of heat was flowing from it up her thigh and right to her sex, causing her already damp underwear to become positively soaked. Good lord, she didn't know how much more of this she could take.

"Is that so?" Erik asked, looking at Lanie. "I think I would like to hear the lady speak for herself."

"It's true," Lanie said, blushing and burying her head in Magnus' shoulder. "I just don't want to be alone right now. After last night. I didn't get much sleep at all, just a few hours in the station. And Magnus makes me feel safe. He's a cop, you know," she giggled, playing more tipsy than she actually was.

"Lanie, are you sure you can trust him?" Haas asked. "No offense to you, Martinsson, but you know nothing about the man. If you don't want to be alone tonight, I would be more than happy to take you home with me."

I just bet you would, she thought, hiding a shudder.

"Oh, but I do know about him!" Lanie smiled. She had planned this out with Anne. "My friend Anne, Anne-Britt she goes by now, works with him. I texted her from the bathroom and got the lowdown on him."

"No you didn't," Holly mumbled with her eyes closed. 

Lanie hurried on, hoping nobody had heard her friend but her.

"She says that he's very trustworthy, and dependable, and perfect gentleman," she punctuated each descriptive word with a little kiss on his cheek, "and all around a lovely guy to be around, as long as you don't tease him about his hair."

Lanie giggled as Magnus choked on his beer and glared.

"There's nothing to tease me about," he grumbled.

"If you say so," she giggled again, pulling on a ringlet. "So you see, Erik, I am perfectly safe going home with him. If he misbehaves, I'll have him brought before the commissioner."

"Is that so?" he asked, tickling her side. Lanie laughed and squirmed on his lap. He let go of her abruptly and stood up, depositing her on the floor.

"Well, I think it's time to go darling," he said. "Come on Holly, up you get. Jan," he yelled over to the bar, "okay if I settle up tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, next year, whenever brother, just go have fun" Jan waved at them with a smirk, causing Lanie to blush again. She really hated her pale skin sometimes.

"Erik, thank you so much for a lovely evening," she said, giving her boss a quick hug. "I'll see you on Monday."

"Be safe," he said, frowning at Magnus.

Lanie and Magnus half walked half carried Holly out and put her in a cab. Magnus paid the cabbie in advance, giving him Holly's address and making sure that his badge showed clearly when he took the money out of his wallet.

"My car's around the corner," he told her, taking her hand and pulling her that direction. Since leaving the bar he seemed remarkably uninebriated. 

"Okay," she smiled. "I live on Oakland and 1st, if you wouldn't mind dropping me off."

"I'm not dropping you anywhere," he told her, looking at her with surprise. "You're coming home with me."


	4. Night Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Lanie settle in for a night at his apartment.

“What do you mean I’m coming home with you?” Lanie asked, astounded. “Haas has left, therer’s no reason to keep up the act.”

Unless it was going to stop being an act, an unbidden thought strayed through her brain. 

“One,” Magnus said, very business like, “I wouldn’t put it passed that snake to follow us just in case you changed your mind and he could corner you at home alone. And two, you are under police protection as a witness in a homicide investigation. I am not to let you out of my sight until we catch the killer.”

”What?” She asked, astounded. “I thought we were just supposed to be acting like an item to give you access to Haas.”

”Lanie, your life could be in very real danger. You were the only other person in that building on the night of the murder. You might have seen something or heard something that could be used against whoever did this. Not mention you have access to confidential files and our number one suspect is borderline obsessed with you. Even if the fake relationship doesn’t work, you are still going to get protection twenty four seven. Now, there’s already a police presence at your office, but when you are off the clock then you are my responsibility. And I do not intend to let anything happen to you.”

”But,” she swallowed, thinking of the forced intimacy that the situation was going to require, “this must be such an imposition on you.”

”That’s the job,” he said with a shrug. “I didn’t ask for it, but I got it, and I am good at my job.”

He unlocked the passenger door of an old, slightly beat up looking car and gestured for her to get in. Fastening her seat belt, Lanie thought through the situation. It was bad enough for Magnus that he had to fake an interest in her when in public, but now she would be invading his private space. He could not be happy about this.

”You’re not allergic to cats, are you?” He asked suddenly as he pulled out and headed down the road. 

Lanie thought about saying yes. She loved cats, but if it got ger out of this, she could pretend...

”Don’t think lying to me is going to rescue you,” he said with a grim smile, reading her mind. “If you say yes that just means we stop at an all night drug store for an antihistamine. I’m sorry, but one way or another you are coming home with me. Might as well make the best of it.”

Lanie looked over at him. His jaw was clenched and his hands clutched the steering wheel. All of the playful closeness of the past few hours was abandoned now that there was no one they needed to fool. What else had she expected? She knew this was all a job for him, and one he was none too keen on. Still, she felt a bit of whiplash at how quickly his mood had changed.

They pulled into the lot of an apartment complex and Magnus got out and opened her door for her. Always the gentleman, she thought. Or was he just putting his body between her and any potential danger? The thought left her cold. She had been kept so busy since last night that she had not really had time to think about the danger she might be in. 

Lanie had been on the phone with a potential caterer for next week’s event when she had heard a crash from down the hall. She had thought everyone else had left for the day - she often stayed passed closing hours when she had work that she needed to concentrate on and came in late the next day. Haas kept such strange hours himself that he didn’t seem to notice. 

She had walked down the hall, calling out to whoever was there. It had sounded like the noise had come from the server room, and she thought she might need to reboot something. The most frightening thing she had expected to find was evidence of a rodent or two. Instead her coworker had been lying on the ground, throat slit, blood pooling everywhere. 

Lanie had spent all night in the police station. First she had to tell her story to Anne, then to the other woman, Anne’s boss who’s name she couldn’t remember. She had caught a few hours of sleep in Anne’s office between sessions, but nothing more than that. At ten in the morning she had left, unrested and still in shock. There were things that needed to be done for the party, and she had been desperate to get out of her blood stained clothes. 

Fortunately Lanie hadn’t had to go into the office - she didn’t think she could take being there yet. A uniform officer had escorted her home where she had changed, and then taken her about her work errands for the day. When Anne had called her with the plan, requesting she meet Magnus at the bar, and bring a witness, she had numbly called Holly and followed instructions. Well, mostly. 

She still hadn’t processed what had happened. She wondered if she ever would. And now this man, this virtual stranger, was supposed to upended his life to keep her safe. It was humbling and a little humiliating.

He opened the door to his second floor apartment and ushered her in. It was small, serviceable but tidy. A white cat with black spots met them at the door, rubbing up against Magnus’ leg. 

“It’s not much,” Magnus shrugged, absently scratching the cat, “and I wasn’t expecting company when I left this morning, but it should be safe.”

”It’s cute,” she said, kneeling to give proper attention to the cat now sniffing her suspiciously. “And what’s your name, handsome?”

”That’s Coriolanus,” Magnus said with a laugh. “But I call him Cori.” 

“Such a fierce name for such a sweet boy!”

”Don’t let him fool you.”

Now that they were in his home, Magnus seemed self conscious.

“This is the living room, obviously. Kitchen is through there. Help yourself to anything you want, though there’s not much. Um, and the bathroom is through here.”

He opened the door to the bedroom. It was obvious more attention had been paid to this room than the rest of the apartment. A king sized bed dominated the room, sturdy looking iron head and foot board framing it. A large armoire stood in one corner, a full length mirror in the other. A window let in a beam of mingled moon and street light that fell onto the bed. 

”Sorry I can’t give you more privacy,” he said, gesturing to the door to the bathroom on the other side of the room. “I’ll try to not bother you during the night.”

”What do you mean?” She asked. “You don’t think I’m going to kick you out of your own bed, do you? I am perfectly happy to sleep on the couch.”

”Nope, non-negotiable,” he said, folding his arms across his chest.

“Magnus, you’re like twice as tall as me, you’ll never fit on the couch”

”Nonsense, I have slept on it before and been perfectly fine.”

”Another protectee in distress?” she teased. 

“No, you’re my first,” he answered, and she was amused to see that it was his turn to blush. “When my Mum and Dad visited on holiday I let them have my room.”

”Of course,” she said with a smile. 

“Besides,” he added, “I’m supposed to be protecting you. I should be sleeping closer to the door anyway.”

”I know I should argue with you, but I’m just too damn tired,” she sighed, and watched as a gloating smile lit up his face. “Magnus, would it be all right if I took a shower? I know I had one earlier today, but I still feel like I haven’t washed the crime scene off of me.”

”Of course,” he replied immediately. “Towels are under the sink, use anything you need. I’ll sort you out a toothbrush and something to sleep in while you’re in there.”

”Thank you so much,” she said, walking into his small bathroom, “I’m sorry to be so much bother.”

”No bother,” he smiled as she closed the door behind her. “Just make yourself at home.”

***

Magnus lay back on his bed with his hands beneath his head and did his best not to listen to Lanie showering in the next room, not to think about her all wet and soaped up, running her hands over her gorgeous body. 

God, he hadn’t realized how badly he needed to get laid. And not some lame quickie like the last few times he’d driven some girl home, but a good hard, dirty fuck with someone who knew how to play. It was so much more difficult now that his career had started to advance. God knew he would never engage in anything non-consentual, but all it would take was one rumor getting around that the young detective on the Ystrad police force liked to tie women up in the bedroom and he was finished. Kurt would just love that. 

He needed some sort of release though. Three seperate times tonight he had found himself getting embarrassingly, inappropriately, hard. That last time, when Lanie had been squirming on his lap while he tickled her, his cock had jumped to life so fast and so insistently that he thought she must have felt it pressing into her. It was not as though he was exactly small, quite the opposite. 

Groaning, he got up and changed quickly  into sweats and a tee, deciding to go against his usual inclination and put on underwear in an effort to hide any unwanted signs of arousal. 

Fishing around in the right side of his armoir he pulled out a pair of shorts and a shirt for Lanie, then dug up an unopened tooth brush. He deliberately didn’t look at left hand side where his toys hung, not needing any more fuel for his imagination. The last thing he needed to was to imagine how the silver nipple chain would look suspended between Lanie's breasts... Fuck!

The bathroom door opened and he jumped, closing the armoire quickly and hoping she hadn't noticed what was in it. He turned around and was instantly grateful he had opted not to go commando, as the bulge he was sporting now was surely less noticeable than the tenting that would have been going on in his sweats otherwise. She was wrapped in one of his soft blue towels, hair wet and curling around her tired looking face. Long pale legs and bare shoulders glistened with droplets of water. Magnus swallowed and licked his lips, knowing he should be looking anywhere but at her, yet unable to avert his eyes.

"I feel so much better, thanks," she said, perching on the edge of his bed.

"Uh, good," he spoke brusquely, dragging his hand through his hair. "Yeah, so there's clothes for you on the bed, and a toothbrush. I'll um, just go out to other room and let you get dressed."

His feet didn't want to move, but reluctantly he made his legs take him out to the kitchen. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and flopped down on the sofa in the living room. She was right, of course. It was way too short for him to sleep comfortably on, but he couldn't make her crash on his lumpy couch. He glanced down at his crotch and saw that, just as he expected, a large bulge was clearly visible. Groaning he grabbed a pillow and placed it his lap. He was going to need to take care of himself after she went to bed or he would never get any sleep. 

A minute later Lanie came out of his bedroom dressed in his shorts, which went half way down her calves, and t-shirt. Magnus stared at her. It strained over bosom, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.

"Uh, sorry about the shirt," he mumbled. "I tend to wear mine a little tight."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," she teased, looking pointedly at his academy t-shirt that was practically molded to his body and he grinned. Well, why not? He worked hard to keep himself in such good shape, he liked showing it off when he had the chance. 

"I'm afraid that's the largest one I have," he apologized. It was also white. And thin. And her skin was still damp from the shower. If he believed in hell he would definitely be going there for the thoughts flickering through his head at the moment. 

"It's not your fault I'm freakishly disproportionate," she shrugged. "But maybe tomorrow I can swing by my apartment and pick up a few things?"

"Of course," he agreed, thinking that would be a damn shame. Oh, he was definitely going to have to find some relief before getting any sleep tonight.

"Well, I think I'm going to try and get some sleep," she sighed. "Do you need anything before I turn the light off?"

"Just let me use the bathroom real quick, and I'll be out of your hair," he said, getting up and going into the bath. "You can get yourself comfortable, I'll turn the light off on my way out."

He relieved himself, washed his hands, brushed his teeth, and splashed some cold water on his face. He should really take a cold shower, he thought, but she looked like she needed to crash soon and he didn't want to keep her awake. Walking out he saw her lying in his big bed, blanket pulled up to her waist and groaned at the picture she made, looking up at him with her wide, trusting eyes. Yup, he was definitely going to hell. But first he had some wanking to do on the couch.

"Magus," she asked, biting her bottom lip, "would you mind leaving the door open? I'm... I'm feeling a little anxious, and I think I would sleep better if I knew I could see you."

"Of course," he smiled, and turned of the light. Cursing silently he prepared himself for a long, sleepless night.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the picture is not Magnus and not a black and white kitty, but it's Tom and a cat, so I can't imagine anyone minding. :)


	5. Bad Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our hero and heroine are both experiencing trouble sleeping. 
> 
> I know this has been a bit of a slow burn. Promise there is smut coming in chapter 6!

_The hallway was longer than it should have been, Lanie was sure of that. Lights were flashing on and off, making it hard to see clearly. A ringing in her ears was keeping her from focusing as much as she wished she could. She was being drawn to the end of the hall, but something told her she really didn't want to find out why or what was there._

_As her steps finally brought her to near to the end, she saw a dark shape crouched over another body. The shape slowly stood up, towering over Lanie, a long dripping knife in his hand. He turned towards Lanie and she screamed in terror -_

Magnus had drifted off to sleep at last after tossing and turning for hours. He had finally taken his pillow and blanket and made himself a nest on the floor when he couldn’t seem to fit his long limbs comfortably on the sofa. He didn't remember having this problem when his parents were here. Of course, he also hadn't been sporting a major hard-on then. Cori, confused by the strange human in the bed and his normal sleeping companion exiled to the living room, had not helped matters, meowing and pouncing at Magnus' hair as he tried to fall asleep. The cat now curled up behind Magnus' knees and purred peacefully.

The scream of pure terror upset both man and cat, causing the latter to dig his claws into the back of the former's legs. Swearing loudly Magnus quickly rose to his feet, grabbing his gun from where he had left it on the coffee table in one fluid motion. Holding it in front of him he raced the four steps to the bedroom door, kicking it the rest of the way open. Lanie lay on the bed, thrashing wildly, face contorted with fear, obviously in the middle of a horrific nightmare. Breathing a sigh of relief, Magnus sat on the bed shook her shoulder gently.

"Lanie," he said, keeping his voice calm and brushing her damp hair out of her face. "Lanie, you're having a nightmare. Wake up, darling."

Her eyes flew open and she sat straight up in the bed.

"Shh, shh," he soothed her, stroking her hair. "It was just a dream. You're safe. It's Magnus. I'm here, and I won't let anyone hurt you."

"Magnus?" Lanie blinked at him hazily, clearly trying to shake off the remains of her dream.

"That's right. It's me. You're safe."

"Magnus," she whimpered, and crumpled in his arms, her head coming to rest on his chest as she sobbed desperately. He held her firm against him, letting her cry her eyes out onto his shirt, her body trembling in his arms. Kissing the top of her head he murmured gentle nonsense to her as he rocked her softly. 

Finally all sobbed out, Lanie slowly lifted her head and looked at him with tearstained eyes. He smiled gently as he saw her come to the realization of her circumstances.

"Oh god, Magnus, I am so sorry," she whispered shakily, trying to pull away. He tightened his arms, refusing to let her move.

"There is nothing to be sorry about," he assured her. "I was pretty much waiting for this to happen. You've been in shock for over twenty four hours. Your brain is just now processing it."

"I got you all wet," she sniffed, and he laughed as he looked down at his tear stained shirt. 

"It's alright," he smiled, raising her chin with his finger to look at him. "I'll dry."

Lanie's big eyes gazed into his and his breath caught in his chest. She looked so fragile and lost, but so trusting as she blinked back the last of her tears. Without thinking he lowered his head and brought his mouth to hers. It started as just a ghosting of their lips against each other, a solace in a time of stress, but as he started to bring his head back up Lanie tightened her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Magnus moaned and pulled her hard against him, sliding his tongue into her welcoming mouth. She lifted one hand up into his hair and ran the other down his back, fingernails trailing over his t-shirt then up underneath it, scraping his flesh. His own hand wandered down her neck, and then lower to graze the side of her breast before slipping forward to cup it, rolling her nipple to a hard nub between his thumb and finger. His erection, which had lessened slightly as he dozed earlier, sprang back to life and throbbed in his sweatpants. 

"Magnus," she said in his ear, breaking away from his lips, "why are you holding a gun?"

"What?" he asked confused, then reality came crashing back to him. "Oh god! Fuck!" he cried, pulling away from her and dropping the gun carefully onto the bedside table. "Lanie, I am so sorry."

"For what?" she asked.

"For taking advantage of you," he said, grinding his teeth. He was scum. Everything everyone ever thought about him was right. Here she was, scared and vulnerable, and he had pawed at her like a school boy alone with a girl for the first time. He deserved to be taken outside and shot with his own gun.

"But I kissed you," she said with a blush.

"It's my job to keep something like this from happening," he ground out.

"I thought it was your job to protect me," she countered.

"That includes from myself," he dropped his head into his hands, pulling at his hair. It was only the first night and already he had proved unable to keep his hands off her. “You have been put under tremendous stress, so it’s only natural for you to seek out comfort. It was wrong of me to use that, and your presence in my bed, as an excuse to grope you. Please, accept my apologies.”

“Of course,” she said, her eyes looking oddly hurt. 

“Thank you,” he sighed and stood up from the bed. “I should go back to the living room.”

”Magnus,” her voice was small, “do you think maybe you could stay in here tonigh? Just to sleep, I mean. I... I don’t want to be alone.”

He looked down at her, all forlorn with huge eyes staring up at him beseechingly. More than anything he could think of he wanted to crawl into bed next to her. He knew exactly how it would end if he did that. Maybe he would be able to hold off his baser urges at first, but feeling her soft body curled up along side him, pressing into his length (he had no illusions - they would be body to body within moments) would surely crack his resolve. As sweet as it would be to lose himself to her, and in her, that was not the reason she was here, and she could not be thinking clearly.

“Best not,” he said in a rough voice. “The lines in this whole operation are blurred enough as is. Crossing more wouldn’t be a good idea.”

”Oh, of course,” she sounded as though he had slapped her, and he ached to take his words back. “Good night then. I’ll try not to bother you again.”

”No bother,” he told her awkwardly. “Good night, Lanie.”

Silently cursing his damn sense of duty he made his way back to the living room floor for the rest of a long, sleepless night.

***

The sound of a door locking woke Lanie from her restless slumber and she sat up in the strange bed. It took her a moment to remember where she was, and as she did she instantly wished she could forget. 

How was she going to face him? It was bad enough that she had cried all over him like a baby, but then she had to go and kiss him! She wasn’t an idiot, she knew his own brush of lips against hers had been meant as a kindness, a way to calm down her racing heart and frayed nerves. And how had she responded? By basically attacking him with her tongue, taking advantage if his kindness. And if that wasn’t bad enough, when he had managed to untangle himself from her she had begged him to come to bed with her. Yes, she had told him it was just to sleep, but why would he believe that when she had so shamelessly thrown herself at him just minutes before? She hadn’t even believed it herself. She knew she wanted him, and with an intensity that scared her. 

Sighing a huge sigh Lanie got out of bed and used the bathroom. Since she was up already she decided she may as well go face him. She would have to at some point, best get it over with. And if he wanted to back out of the whole plan she would understand.

Walking hesitantly into the kitchen Lanie realized with relief that he wasn’t there. A piece of paper sat on the kitchen table with a note scrawled across it in messy writing. 

\- Out of cat food, went to the market. Back soon with coffee and breakfast. DO NOT open the door to anyone until I get back. Text or call if you need anything. M -

Lanie sank onto a chair, giving thanks that the inevitable had been delayed. Hugging her arms to herself she looked down at her ridiculous outfit. For the first time she realized just how tight and borderline see through Magnus’ t-shirt was and her embarrassment doubled. Just once she’d like to be able to wear a white top without feeling like she belonged in a porn movie. It wasn’t that she wished to be flat, but there was no moderation!

As she sat there replaying the events of last night on a loop, Lanie began to feel claustrophobic. She needed to move, she realized. She was feeling trapped. Magnus had mentioned picking up things from her apartment. It was not that far away, a ten minute walk at most. 

After changing into her close from last night Lanie scribbled a quick note on the bottom of the paper where Magnus had written. Grabbing her purse and giving Cori a quick pat she exited the apartment, making sure the door locked behind her. She would just pop home, get a few changes of clothes (pajamas definitely included!), some art supplies to keep her from going crazy, and be back before breakfast was cold. 


	6. Ultimatums

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus does not react well to finding Lanie gone when he returns home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, NSFW

Magnus stood outside his apartment door, key in one hand, carry away and groceries in the other, and took a few deep breaths, looking at the lock. If any of his neighbors saw him they would think he was crazy.

He had snuck out of the apartment like a coward this morning, trying to put off the inevitable. Coriolanus had been meowing pitifully at his empty food bowl, and quick scan of the kitchen confirmed what Magnus already knew, that he was all out . He didn’t want the cat to disturb her sleep, after all. He had to go out. It had nothing to do with the feeling he got when he thought of her lying in the next room.

But now he could do this. He could go in there and face her. He had crossed the line last night and taken advantage of her distraught state. He was lucky that she wasn’t (he hoped) the kind of woman to report him for it. But surely there were extenuating circumstances. He had, after all, managed to put a stop to things before they got really out of hand. Shouldn’t he get some sort of credit for that? God knows it hadn’t been easy. 

Biting the proverbial bullet he put the key in the lock and opened the door, a false, jovial smile on his face.

”Breakfast time,” he called. “Hope you like pancakes!”

After shooing a disobedient Cori off the forbidden table he set the bags down and went to see if Lanie was still asleep. Opening the door as softly as he could he felt his heart skip a beat. The bed was empty. A cursory glance in the bathroom showed that to be vacant as well. Where was she? He had only been gone half an hour, surely nothing could have happened in that short amount of time, could it?

Pulling his phone out he scrolled to the number he had entered in yesterday and dialed. There had to be an explanation. A moment later he heard a ring and saw her phone on the floor in the bedroom. Fuck!

There didn’t seem to be any sign of a struggle, certainly no forced entry, but with the bedding all over the living room it was hard to tell. His mind jumped to every awful possibility. Had Haas followed them last night and been waiting for Magnus to do something stupid and give him opportunity to swoop in and kidnap her? If so, he hadn’t had to wait very long.

Yelling a string of curse words at himself Magnus grabbed his gun and holster and headed out the door. He would not panic. She had told him she lived on First, that was not far away. He would look there before he lost all hope. If she wasn’t there he would call the station and request backup.

He decided he could get there faster on foot than navigating all the one way streets and took off at a run. Years of training stood him well as he raced through the streets in no time flat. He felt as though was racing not just against time but against the pictures in his head of Haas forcing himself on her. Or even worse, of her bloody body laid out on the floor, lifeless and broken. 

Rounding a corner he saw the building she lived in, a cute little one story duplex, and there she was, skirt blowing in the breeze, coffee mug in hand, dragging a roller bag out of the front door. 

“Are you insane?” He bellowed, vaulting over the gate and striding up to her with murder in his eyes. 

“Magnus!” she yelped in surprise. “You got back quickly.”

”Oh, so you remember who I am, do you?” he sneered, crowding into her space as she blinked at him in confusion. 

“Yes...”

”And do you remember where you were last night?” He walked her back through the door way and into her apartment.

”Your place,” she mumbled, and blushed. He was in no condition to find it charming.

”And, now for the big question, do you perhaps remember why you were there?”

”Magnus,” she looked truly alarmed now, as she scampered back into her living room. Good she should be.

”WHY?” he shouted. 

“For my protection,” she muttered.

"For your protection," he echoed. "Because there is cold blooded, killer on the loose who could quite possibly be obsessed with you."

"I really don't think," she began, but he cut her off sharply.

"No, you really don't, do you?" he barked, raking his hands through his hair in frustration. "You just go scampering off like a little bunny with no thought for your own safety, let alone for what it put anyone else through."

"It didn't put anyone else through anything," she answered back, unwisely.

"No?" he asked. "Then I haven't just spent the last ten minutes imagining every horrible thing that might have befallen you? What a relief for me."

Magnus could feel the blood pounding in his ears. And then it happened. He could claim that it was the fatigue of a sleepless night, or the fact that he had been in a state of intense frustrated arousal since he had met her the night before, but it still didn't excuse it. Lanie looked at him, at his wild eyes and hair, panting from anger and exertion, and giggled. That was when Magnus felt something inside him snap.

***

She really hadn't meant to laugh at him. Honestly, she understood his anger and, while she thought he was being a bit dramatic about it, she did feel bad for having worried him. He just looked so beside himself, eyes wild, hair standing up every which way, chest rising and falling with rapid breath. She was anxious and guilty, and she let out a nervous giggle. Then she saw his eyes go dark.

At first when he reached out and pulled her to him Lanie thought he was about to kiss her, and her stomach clenched in anticipation. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be his intent at all. Throwing himself down onto her couch, Magnus dragged her down with him and unceremoniously manhandled her until she was laying over his lap, head dangling off one side, toes just grazing the ground on the other. With an indignant shriek she tried to push herself up, but he grabbed her wrists and held them in one of his large hands behind her back.

"Magnus, what the actual hell?" she demanded.

"Quiet!" he snapped. A moment later she felt cool metal on her wrists and heard a series of clicks. The bastard had cuffed her!

"If you are going to act like a petulant, spoiled child, then you are going to be treated like one," he growled. "You deserve 50, but we will keep it to 15 since this is your first time. Now, spread your feet and count."

Without waiting for her to respond he kicked her feet apart, flipped up her skirt, and brought his huge hand down on her satin covered ass.

"Ow!" she screamed, unable to believe what was happening.

"I said, count," he ordered her again.

Swat.

"No way!" she shouted back, face turning red.

Swat.

"15, Lanie, and they don't start counting until you do."

He had to be joking, right? Swat.

"Okay, okay, one!" she ground out, panting from the pain.

"Good," he murmured, rubbing her ass where his palm had struck her. "It's important that you pay attention if you are going to learn." - Swat.

"Two," she could not believe this. Swat.

After the first five he stopped again for a moment and caressed her some more, kicking her feet apart again. To her shock and horror, Lanie realized that she was not just furious with him, she was undeniably turned on. As he rubbed her white satin knickers she could feel them becoming more and more drenched. She started to be lulled into relaxation by the soothing sensation of his hand when he suddenly raised it and brought it down again, harder than before.

"Gah! Six," she cried out and heard him chuckle darkly, making her drip even more. He had to be able to feel it. His hand stayed mostly on her ass, but once or twice a stray finger had dipped down and brushed over her slit. At least it wasn't just her that was getting aroused. She could feel him growing hard against her stomach, and every time he brought his palm down onto her, making her buck against his groin, she could feel him twitch with excitement.

By the time they reached 15 tears were running down her face, mixing humiliation, anger, pain, and an intense desire. She knew her ass would be bright red with his hand prints, and while the thought made her seethe, it also made her nipples hard and her cunt ache. They were both breathing heavily as he reached down with his strong hands, she had cause to know just how strong now, flipped her over, and pulled her up so that she was sitting on his lap. She cried out in pain as her ass made contact with his legs and he smiled grimly with satisfaction, no doubt feeling her wetness through his sweats. She glared at him, noting his hard cock straining against her.

"Detective Martinson," she growled at him, "if you don't fuck me, and I mean right bloody now, I am going to call your station house and report this, I swear to god!"

His eyes went wide for a moment, and she was afraid he was going to call her bluff, but a split second later they turned absolutely feral. Moving with shocking speed Magnus shoved her back onto the couch, her hands still bound behind her back, freed himself from his sweats and boxer briefs, and growling as he pushed her panties aside thrust himself to the hilt inside her. Lanie arched her back and cried out at the intrusion. He held himself still for a few minutes as she got used to the size of him, her inner walls stretching to the limit to accommodate his length and girth. When she had her breath back he started moving again, slowly at first, pulling most of the way out and then slamming back in, her slick juices coating him with each thrust.

She abandoned all modesty, really what was the point now, and moaned like a whore as he gained speed. His hand moved between them and tore open her blouse, sending buttons flying. Pulling her breast roughly out of her bra cup he let out a lustful groan and took it in his mouth, sucking and biting on one hard nipple while his hand played with its twin. She heard his name cried out and was shocked to realized that it had come from her. He chuckled and lifted his head from her breast.

"Don't you dare cum before I tell you, do you understand?" he growled at her, almost black eyes staring intensely. She swallowed hard and nodded, hoping that she would be able to obey. Just hearing him say that had almost been enough to push her over the edge.

"Answer me," he commanded, slapping her hip and slamming into her with a particularly hard thrust.

"Yes, detective," she panted.

He grinned and took her other nipple between his teeth, pulling on it. Her head thrashed from side to side, fighting to hold off the building tension in her core. He reached down and pulled her leg up, changing the angle so that he brushed her clit with every thrust of his hips. 

"Oh, you feel so good, Lanie," he groaned. "I knew you would. So wet and tight around my cock. Fuck, I've wanted to own you since I first saw you."

"Oh god, yes," she screamed, his words sending her skittering to the edge. "Oh god, Magnus, please."

"That's right, beg me," he rasped hips starting to lose their rhythm as his own climax neared.

"Please make me cum," she cried. "Please, god Magnus."

"Cum," he growled, pulling her hair hard and biting down on her shoulder. With an obscenely loud moan Lanie came, wrapping her legs around him as tight as they would go and pulling him deep inside her as she felt him spend himself, coating her insides with his cum.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, so there's some smut! I knew I'd get to it sooner or later!
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me this far. Any feedback always appreciated!


	7. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Lanie deal with the after effects of their actions.

Lanie drew a series of long breaths as she came down from her high. Magnus released his grip on her hair and smoothed it down as he raised his head from her sore neck, eyes closed, breathing just as heavy as her own. She saw his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard, shook his head slightly, and rested his forehead against hers. 

“God!” He drew out the word, shuddering, making it sound as though it came from from the very center of his soul. Opening his eyes he looked at Lanie and she saw his lips quirk just a bit. “Well, that happened,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

Lanie gave a nervous laugh of acknowledgement. Looking into his eyes she suddenly realized that he was still seated inside her. She unwrapped the death grip her legs had around his waist, bringing them down to lay on the sofa, and winced slightly at the throbbing in her ass. Magnus pushed himself up, sliding out of her, and tucking himself back into his sweats. 

"Oh my god!" Magnus said suddenly, panicking, "I didn't use anything! Fuck! Lanie I am so sorry! Please tell me you're on the pill. Fuck damn, I am never so stupid!"

"I'm on the pill," she reassured him, staring in shocked fascination as a huge amount of their combined emissions seeped out of her. She was going to have to clean her sofa.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me, I never do that," he sat on a chair dropped his head into his hands. "I even had a condom on me!"

"In your sweats?" she asked tugging her blouse closed and noticing the missing buttons.

"Gun belt pocket," he admitted, earning a bark of laughter from her.

"Appropriate. And as for what came over you, I _did_ kind of blackmail you into it," she admitted, looking shamefaced at the floor. "Magnus, you know I would never -" she was cut off as his phone started ringing and he held up his hand.

"Martinsson," he answered, voice shifting tone completely. Cool, collected, ever so slightly bored. "Yeah. Yes, Kurt, calm down. Yes, she's here. No, at her place. I know that wasn't the plan, we're just... just picking up some of her things," his eyes flicked to hers with a look of guilt and she flinched to think she was responsible for him getting chewed out. "No, she's absolutely fine. What? No, her phone's at my place. Because she forgot it, Kurt. Yes, fine, okay, I won't let it happen again. We will swing by my apartment to pick it up and be there shortly."

Hanging up his phone Magnus looked at her with eyes full of concern. 

"What is it?" she asked.

"We have to go to the station."

"Why?" she almost didn't want to know.

"Someone sent an email to the station, and to you as well."

"An email?"

"There was a picture, from what Kurt - Inspector Wallander - described, it sounds like it was taken today. Same outfit as last night, taken from half a block or so away, walking up the steps to your place."

"What?" she felt her stomach lurch.

"And there was a message."

"Tell me," she closed her eyes.

"'Tell the slut to stay out of my business or she or she dies, along with her useless fuck toy cop. As you can see, I know where she is, and he can't watch her all the time.'"

"Oh my god," Lanie's eyes filled with tears of shock, anger, and guilt. "Magnus, I am so sorry. I had no idea. I swear, I will never do something stupid like that again."

"It's my own fault," he sighed. "I should never have left you alone in the first place. And I wouldn't have if I wasn't such a fucking coward."

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," he looked away and pulled himself together. "Why don't you go clean yourself up. They want to see us down at the station and the way you look now... might raise some eyebrows."

Lanie stumbled into the bathroom and gasped as she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, sticking out in all directions and screaming "bedhead." A very large, very red bruise stood out on the left side of her neck where he had bitten her as they came, and three smaller versions decorated her chest. Her button down shirt was down to one button at her waist and the lace on the right cup of her bra was torn. She turned around and gingerly lifted her skirt and pulled down her undies to reveal bright red marks on her ass. She couldn't remember ever looking so thoroughly fucked in her life, or feeling it for that matter. The sweet ache between her legs from the way he stretched her was almost as bad as the pain in her bottom.

After washing herself off and downing two ibuprofen, Lanie went into her room and pulled out a turtleneck and long skirt with a silky lining. She didn't think she could stand wearing pants or even underwear in her current condition. She did the best she could with her hair, pulling it back in a clip and shrugging her shoulders. Deciding that was as good as it was going to get for right now she limped back into the living room.

"I look like I've been in a war zone," she opined.

"Um, sorry about that," he mumbled, face turning red. "I can be a little... intense sometimes. We should get going."

***

They drove to the station in silence after a quick to detour to allow Magnus to change and grab Lanie's phone. A quick glance at her email messages had been enough to confirm that the picture was taken this morning. Magnus put the phone in his pocket and ushered her into his car. Neither of them spoke as he drove to the precinct on auto pilot. That was fine with him; the voice in his head berating him was loud enough as it was.

The way Magnus saw it, this was all his fault. If he hadn't have gone out this morning, Lanie would have stayed put in his apartment, and that sicko would never been able to get near enough to take that picture. Instead, he had allowed himself to become emotionally entangled with a witness he was protecting, and in the process put her life in danger. Oh, he could pretend he had needed to run to the store, but he knew that Cori could have waited for her to wake up to eat. The cat was overweight as it was. He had wanted to escape the small apartment because he was embarrassed about kissing her. Not at the bar, that had been part of the job, even if he had enjoyed it too much. But later in his bed, that wasn't Detective Martinsson, that was all Magnus, acting on his purely selfish desire for a woman he had known less than a day. They would be completely justified in taking his badge. In fact, if he had any kind of moral compass, he would hand it over himself as soon as they got to the station. He knew he wouldn't, though. Being a cop was too important to him.

Pulling into the lot, he put the car in park and turned to Lanie, not quite meeting her eyes. He had been unable to look directly at her since seeing the pictures on her phone.

"If you want to have me taken off the case, I will totally understand," he told her seriously.

"What?!? Magnus, no!" she sounded truly alarmed. "Unless.. unless you want off. After what I did and said today, I wouldn't blame you."

"Fuck no, I don't want off," he shook his head. "I want to catch the bastard who's stalking you and make him pay for the rest of his life. I just thought, all things considered, you might feel more comfortable with somewhen else."

"No, I would not!" she said emphatically, and he lifted his eyes to see her staring at him in concern. "Besides," she added with a weak laugh, "Haas and Holly already saw me go home with you last night. If they assign someone else to be my fake lover, I'll start to get a reputation for being easy."

"If you're sure," he wanted to laugh, to help her lighten the mood, but all he could muster was a false smile. 

"I'm sure," she answered. "Now can we please go in? It hurts my ass to sit this long."

He did chuckle at that, and ducked his head in embarrassment. He knew that he couldn't avoid that conversation forever, but he was just as happy not to have to have it now. There was enough going on already without trying to explain to her that, yes, he did enjoy being dominant in the bedroom, but no, he didn't usually spank unsuspecting women without their consent because he found them equal parts arousing and infuriating. He had never let his sexual preferences spill into his professional life before. It was something about her eyes, he thought, the way they were so big and trusting when she looked at him. They made him want to protect her from everything except himself.

He escorted her into the station and down the hall to the space he shared with the rest of his team. Kurt and Anne-Britt were already there, coffees in hand. Anne-Britt came forward and hugged Lanie, and Magnus knew another moment of embarrassment as the older woman looked curiously at Lanie's outfit. It was getting quite cold in the evenings lately, but the days were still balmy enough to make a turtle a bit of a fashion stretch. He had truly lost all sense of propriety with her. Gods, but it had been good though. He couldn't remember the last time he had let himself come so undone. At just the thought of her wrapped around him, screaming his name he could feel his cock stirring again. 

"Magnus, come with me," Kurt barked at him. As dashes of cold water went, Wallander was up there with the best of them. Giving Lanie a reassuring smile, he followed Kurt into his office and prepared, as usual to be chewed out by his superior.


	8. Station Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Lanie check in at the police station.

Magnus followed Kurt into his office and slouched himself into the chair in front of the desk. He watched his boss walk around and take the chair opposite him, waiting for the lecture he knew he deserved. True, Kurt didn’t know everything that had occurred, but that had never stopped him from ripping up at Magnus before. And he was aware that Magnus had let Lanie far enough away from him for the picture to be taken.

”Good lord, Martinsson,” Kurt said testily once they were both seated, “I would have thought you’d prove a better actor.”

”What do you mean?” Magnus’ eyes shot up quickly. Did he know about his unsanctioned interest in Lanie? He prayed his eyes hadn’t given away his feelings, or, god forbid, his over enthusiastic member that tended to bulge at the merest thought of her. 

“You’re supposed to be head over heels for the girl, remember?” Kurt replied, glaring at him. “No one is going to believe that if you can’t even look at each other! I don’t care if you don’t find her attractive, I don’t care if you can’t stand her. Man up and act like you want her or this whole thing is going to fall apart!”

It took all of Magnus’ willpower not to laugh. For such a brilliant detective Wallander was absolute bollocks with relationships and basic romantic empathy. The degree to which he had misread the dynamic between Magnus and Lanie was staggering. As it was all to Magnus’ benefit, he decided not to correct him.

”We will try harder,” he grumbled.

“See to it you do. This case is getting thornier all the time.”

”How so?”

”We think Ms. Greyson must know more than she’s letting on. She has this guy spooked somehow, or he wouldn’t have sent that email.”

”Lanie wouldn’t lie to us,” he defended her, bristling at the very suggestion. 

“I’m not saying she is,” Kurt sighed, “but she might be unaware of what she knows. What can you tell me about Haas?”

”He’s definitely obsessed with her. I had to practically fight him last night to keep his oily hands off her.”

”Well, don’t let him get too close, but remember not to push him too far. We need him to allow you to accompany her to his house party.”

”I’ll do my best,” Magnus promised. “Lanie is due to go back to work on Monday, I thought I would arrange to pick her up, so I might have a look around after every one else is gone. She says she’s often the last one to leave.”

”Good. Just be careful. I am not pleased that you let the killer get a shot of her this morning. Imagine if that had been a gun in his hand instead of a camera?”

”Believe me, I have,” he sighed. He didn’t need Kurt to fill his head with worst case scenarios, his own brain was more than willing to come with them on its own. 

“I know we’re asking a lot of you, Magnus,” Kurt said unexpectedly. “But along with being the only lead we have, the girl is important to Anne-Britt. Just keep up the preformance for another two weeks, then you never have to see the girl again.”

It was ironic, Magnus thought, that the one time Kurt tried to be comforting he only succeeded in depressing his mood even further. 

***

 Lanie watched Magnus follow Inspector Wallander out of the room, eyes straying down to the seat of his tight jeans as he walked away. A shame he had kept so much of his clothing on earlier, she couldn't stop herself thinking. It may have been her only chance to see a body that perfect.

"See something you like?" Anne asked.

"What?" Lanie jumped, blushing. "No. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on, Lanie, you can't deny the man is gorgeous," Anne said with a laugh. "Even I catch myself staring sometimes."

"Alright, fine," Lanie sighed, "I might have been admiring certain of his assets."

"I should hope so!"

Anne sat down and gestured for Lanie to do the same. Not thinking, she lowered herself onto a chair and immediately jumped back up again as pain shot through her ass as it hit the hard surface. Anne looked at her, perplexed.

"Are you alright, sweetie," she asked. "I know this must be taking a toll on you. I hope Magnus has been behaving himself."

"Of course he has!" Lanie assured her hastily. "Why would you think he wasn't?"

"I didn't think that," she protested. "I just wanted to be sure. Kurt has issues with him, but I think it's just because Magnus comes from a posh background."

"He does?" Lanie thought of the beat up car, the small apartment, and the dive bar where they had met.

"Can't you tell just by listening to him?" Anne asked. "God, that voice! I like the boy, personally. Quiet, hard to get to know sure, a little sassy at times maybe, but a good cop. I always thought he just needed to find the right woman to bring him out of his shell more."

"Anne," Lanie stared at her old friend with growing alarm, "did you arrange for this whole protective custody situation as some sort of ridiculous blind date?"

"No! No, I swear!" Anne hastened to assure her. "You really do need protection, and the idea to place you with a cop as a couple wasn't even mine, it was Lisa's. I just thought... well... since you were going to be stuck with someone for a couple of weeks, why not make it easy on you?"

"Yeah, easy," Lanie shook her head, pacing.

"So, is his place all tricked out?"

"Ha! Not at all. He lives in a four room shoebox of an apartment. I would never have known he came from money, though now that you say it there is something posh about him."

"That sounds cozy," Anne smiled.

"Stop that!" Lanie glared at her.

"Alright, alright," Anne laughed, then turned serious again. "But all joking aside, Lanie are you okay?"

"Sure," Lanie shrugged, "why?"

"You're just not acting like yourself," Anne replied. "You're all jittery. You can't seem to sit still. And that outfit. I promise, Anne, we will catch this guy. You don't need to dress like a nun."

"I am not dressed like a nun!"

"You're wearing a turtle neck and a skirt to your ankles."

"I get cold," Lanie insisted.

"Since when? You've been known to wear sundresses and sandals long past the time sane people have packed them away for the season. I promise you, Lanie, we will not let this guy get you."

"No, we won't," said a male voice. Lanie turned and saw Kurt and Magnus walking back in. Magnus looked more grim than he had when they had left, but he walked over to Lanie and put his arm around her shoulder. 

"Better," Kurt nodded, "but still could use work."

"What needs work?" Lanie asked, looking back and forth between the two men.

"Kurt thinks we need to work on our chemistry," Magnus told her, and as their eyes met she saw a brief flash of hilarity in his. 

"Our chemistry?" she asked, sure she must have heard his wrong.

"Yup. Apparently you and I are just not believably attracted enough to each other."

"Oh," was all she could think of to say. If she was any more attracted to the man she would be straddling him on the conference table right now, she thought.

"Oh, for god's sake, Kurt!" Anne chided him. "They've just received a death threat. What, do you expect them to be going at it on the sofa? Give them a break."

Lanie felt Magnus flinch as her finger nails dug into his arm.

"I'm just trying to offer a little constructive criticism," Kurt. 

"Well then," Anne suggested, "why don't you two run along home and work on your chemistry."

Lanie thought she just might happily strangle her friend.

"Should I consider that an order?" Magnus asked blandly, looking at Kurt.

"Yes, consider that an order."

"Well Lanie, you heard the man," Magnus grinned at her and escorted her out to the car.

 


	9. Back to Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie and Magnus deal with her return to Haas Enterprises. She finds a way to keep his mind occupied while he patrols outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut at the end of the chapter!

The rest of the weekend passed quietly. By mutual, silent consent they did not discuss the incident at Lanie's. She could not believe that she had all but threatened his job to get him to sleep with her. She would never have followed through on the threat, of course, but still. She did not like to think of herself as the type of person to resort to blackmail.

Not that there had not been extremely extenuating circumstances. Her ass was still sore from his spanking. When she went into the bedroom later that evening after he had showered (she had politely stayed in the living room to afford him some privacy), she found a jar of cooling lotion sitting on the bed. She supposed it was his way of apologizing. It did make her pause to think that he had it in his medicine cabinet. Was this something that he often had to offer ladies who visited his home?

They spent the night watching silly movies on the couch in their pajamas. They did not quite touch as they sat, though Magnus spread out so widely that they came close. There was a definite pull between them still, but it seemed like their romp that morning had for the moment dampened the urgency if not the desire. Much earlier than was her usual habit she found herself drifting off. She woke some time later to find herself being carried in his arms to the bedroom. She sighed happily and burrowed her head into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was so strong, she thought, dreamily. When he went to lay her down, her arms refused to let go of him. He was just too comfy. She heard him sigh, and then lay down next to her, placing her head on his chest.

When she woke in the morning they had barely moved at all. A warm feeling invaded her chest as she listened to his heart beat under her head. His arm encircled her waist and his large, elegant hand rested on the stripe of bare skin between her pajama top and bottom. In sleep he looked even more like an angel. She was suddenly torn with competing urges. The first, naturally, was to gently remove his sweats and have her way with him. She could see quite clearly he was half hard and was sorely tempted to take advantage of the fact. However, she still felt a little guilty about the day before, so molesting him in his sleep, no matter how appealing the thought, was passed over in favor of her other urge.

Gently untangling herself from him, she got out of bed and quietly went to the bag she had brought from her apartment. Taking out her sketch book and pencils, she began sketching his sleeping face. It was a wonderful excuse to stare at his beautiful features. His cheekbones looked like they had been cut from marble. His lips were thin and just a bit petulant in repose. The only thing marring the perfection of the face was that his eyes were closed. The sweep of his long lashes against his cheeks was graceful, of course, but nothing could compare to the bright intelligence shining out of his blue eyes. She finished the first preliminary sketch while he still slept, then did smaller studies of his hands, lips, nose, and long, exquisite neck. By the time he woke, she had hidden them all away in her book and started planning the portrait she would paint. It would be her way of remembering their time together, not that she was ever likely to forget.

Monday morning came like a blaring horn into their little peaceful idle. Lanie woke early again, but this time Magnus had risen first, and she smelled bacon and eggs cooking in the kitchen. Cori sat on the end of the bed looking at her quizzically. Since Magnus had begun sharing the bed with her, Cori had also returned to his rightful spot. He was still a little uncertain about the seemingly permanent new resident in their home, but appeared willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Breakfast is ready," Magnus called from the kitchen.

After a quick stop in the bathroom, Lanie went out to the kitchen to see Magnus handing her a cup of coffee.

"Marry me," she mumbled, stumbling to the table and adding milk and sugar.

"Ehehehe," he laughed. "How are you feeling about going to work?"

"Blurgh!" she groaned snatching a piece of bacon and popping it in her mouth. She was terrified, truth be known. Even if Haas wasn't the murderer, someone who worked there most likely was. She would be walking right back into the lion's den.

"It will be fine," he assured her. "When you are ready, I'll drive you in. I plan on staying right outside with the perimeter protection today, so if you need anything, just call or text. Even if you just want reassurance, I am there. Nothing will harm you."

"That's wonderful, but I can't text," she told him. "Erik doesn't allow cell phones in the office. You have to check them in at the lobby reception before entering the premises. I told you, he's extremely paranoid."

"He'll let you have one," Magnus said grimly. "Police orders. If you're there, I need a way to be in touch with you at all times."

"Ah, but you're not supposed to have anything to do with the investigation," she reminded him. "You're just my overprotective boyfriend as far as he's concerned. You don't even work in the division covering the case."

"Well, as your overprotective boyfriend, I insist on keeping you safe," his growly voice did actually sound just a bit possessive, Lanie thought. It made her stomach flutter just a little.

"Just let me talk to him," Magnus suggested, puffing out his chest. "I'll convince him."

"At ease, detective," she laughed, "remember, you can't completely alienate him until after we get you to the house party on Wednesday. Now, I better go get ready. Thanks for breakfast."

"Of course," he replied with a smile, settling in to tuck into his own meal. "Oh, and Lanie," he called as she started walking towards the bedroom.

"Yes?"

"Don't wear a turtleneck today," he said smugly, "I want  him to get a good, long look at your neck."

Lanie rolled her eyes, but secretly was delighted.

Magnus would have been too, if he could have been there to witness the reaction his bite mark caused. Lanie had barely walked in when Holly ran over, two coffees in hand, to get the details of Lanie's night with the handsome blond detective.

"Did you really go home with him?" Holly asked, envy and respect vying for dominance in her tone. 

"Yup," Lanie answered, unbuttoning her coat. "And I stayed there all weekend."

"You did not!" Holly gushed. "Oh, I am soooo jealous! Of course, knowing you, you probably just literally slept. Fess up, did you leave the delectable detective with blue balls?"

"Holly!" Lanie snorted. "I am not going to give you the details of my sex life!"

"Why not? Wait? Sex life? So there was sex?" Holly pounced.

Lanie just smiled and took off her coat. She had pulled her hair back in a clip, making it impossible to miss the now purplish love bite taking up a large portion of the side of her neck.

"What is that!?!" Holly's shriek practically echoed off the walls as she stared at the mark on Lanie's neck.

"Holly, please," Haas said, coming around the corner. "Try to remember that this is a place of business. Ah, good morning Lanie."

Lanie suddenly felt cold as her boss looked at her with his usual covetousness, now mixed with a thin coat of anger. It appeared he had not taken kindly to being passed over the other night.

"I'm sorry Erik, but look at her neck!" Holly laughed. "I guess Detective Magnus got our quiet girl out of her shell - among other things, I'm sure." 

Normally Lanie would have been mortified, but in this case she actually was glad to have Mangus' mark so visible on her skin. It made her feel as though a part of him was here with her, keeping her safe. Surely Haas would be turned off to see another man's claim so clearly staked on her flesh.

"Good lord," he shuddered, taken aback. "The man is an animal."

"Oh, I just bet he is," Holly giggled. "And I want all the details!"

"To work, ladies," Haas ordered. "We have a major event beginning in three days."

"Yes sir," they both replied.

"I'll see you at lunch," Holly told Lanie pointedly.

Whatever was she supposed to tell her friend?

***

It was an unbelievably long day for Magnus, sitting out in the car in front of Haas Enterprises. He kept having visions of Lanie, sitting at her desk with Haas lurking behind her like a vampire in an old Dracula movie. It seemed a very apt comparison to him.

He had convinced the snooty receptionist allow Lanie to keep her phone with flattering ease. All it had taken was a little light flirting, a sheepish smile, and a wink and she had agreed. He had laughed as Lanie rolled her eyes at him. It wasn't his fault if women found him charming, and he would use whatever tools he had available to keep her safe.

He made her text him once an hour on the hour to assure him that she was safe. The first time when she forgot, as 1:00 came and went, he found himself panicking. Had something happened? Did Haas realize she had the phone - he had promised the receptionist she would keep it hidden - and confiscate it? At 1:15 he couldn't take it any longer.

" _Are you all right? -M_ " he texted her.

 _"Oh! Sorry! I’m fune. Lunch with Holly. Lost track of time. She says hello and nice work, btw. -L_ " came back almost instantly.

 _"This is not a game, Lanie. Stay in touch or else. -M"_ Magnus typed, hoping she would believe that he was not above calling a raid on the building if he thought she was at risk.

" _Or else what? You'll "discipline" me again? Is that a threat or a promise? -L_ "

Magnus sucked in his breath and read the message a second time to be sure it said what he thought. Damn, what was he supposed to say to that.

" _Everything alright detective? - L"_ the message popped up as he was trying to steady his breathing.

" _Every things fine now, but you might not be so smug once I get you home tonight. You're at 15 already, and this time it might not just be my hand I use- M_ "

 _"Can't wait - L_ "

God, he was rock hard. Did she really mean it? Was she really open to exploring that side of things between them? She had been obviously aroused by the spanking he had given her. Even if she hadn't immediately demanded sex afterwards, the way her lovely cunt had dripped for him made that clear, but her silence on the matter since then had led him to believe that she regretted it in hindsight. He had known that to happen before. A woman might love being dominated in the throes of it, but the next day feel shame that she had allowed him such control, and worse, gotten off on it. It was one of the reasons why he didn't usually indulge in his kink with partners unless he knew they had a history of submission. But if Lanie had truly liked the way he made her feel... Could it be that she had just been too shy to say anything in person? The more he thought about it, the more he realized that that would very likely fit her personality. He decided to test her.

" _At 2:00 I want a photo rather than a simple text. It's boring sitting in the car, give me something to look at. Something that no one else gets to see. Now get back to work and let me do the same - M_ "

Well, he would see what her response to that was. She would either be appalled that he didn't realize she was joking, or he would have a very interesting photo coming his way.

As the time neared the hour he sat with his phone in his hand, waiting for it to beep. When it finally chimed at 2:03 he realized he’d been holding his breath. Opening the message he let out a moan of appreciation. Lanie had opened up her blouse and taken a picture of her delectable bossum, barely contained in a black lacey bra. He could just see her perky nipples peaking out over the top of the cups, but very visible were the fading bite marks that he had left on her milky skin. 

“ _This what you had in mind, detective? -L”_

_”Yes, but a little too much fabric. Try harder next time.- M”_

_”Yes sir, detective-L”_

Magnus grinned and looked at the picture. So it seemed she did want to play.

The next picture made him chuckle. She had flipped her skirt up and photographed her naked ass, his handprint still visible on either cheek.  

_”I might keep this one for proof of police brutality in case it fades before I file my report - L”_

_”Don’t worrry, you’ll have more evidence tonight - it’s 3:06, that’s 6 more added to your total. Don’t press your luck, little girl. - M”_

_”Maybe I can make it up to you at 4:00. Any requests? - L”_

_”I don’t know - it’ll have to be something pretty special to get you out of the trouble you’re already in - M”_

_”I’ll see what I can come up with. Haas is coming, back to work. - L”_

_”Stay safe please. I would hate for anything to happen to you before I have a chance to punish you. - M”_

God, he couldn’t remember the last time he had been so turned on. The next hour dragged so slowly he thought he might explode. It occurred to him to wonder where she was taking the photos. From what she had said she didn’t have her own office but sat out in front of Haas’. 

At half past he saw her slimy boss leave the building. Good. At least now she wouldn’t have to deal with him hovering. Magnus realized his jaw was clenched and his hand had gone to his side arm. The man really did inspire intense hatred in him. 

At 3:59 his phone beeped and he greedily opened the message. It was a video this time. Swallowing, Magnus pressed play and his jaw dropped to the floor. 

Lanie was lying on a leather sofa in a posh looking office. Probably Haas’ he assumed, though he didn’t like to think of that. Her blouse was opened again, as was her bra. As she held her phone out with one hand she slowly played with her nipples with the other, pinching and pulling them until they were dark little peaks. When they were as hard as they could get, she ran her hand south, trailing her fingers over her navel and down to the hem of her pleated skirt. Smiling teasingly at the camera, she brought her hand back up under the skirt, pushing it to her waist. Her fingers dipped between her slightly parted thighs, pushing her panties to the side and entering herself. She pumped her little hand in and out three times, head rolling back as she made a small cooing noise, before sliding them out and holding them to the camera to show him how wet they were. 

“Thinking of you,” she purred into the phone, then laughed, face turning bright red before before she turned off the camera. 

Magnus groaned and stroked his cock through his pants. He had started this game, but damn if she hadn’t just won! His erection was painful, and he had no way to relieve it. 

“ _Lord woman, are you trying to kill me? - M”_

_”I’ll see you in an hour, Detective - if you can walk by then. - L”_


	10. Exploration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie wants to find out if Magnus really does want to play with her. Holly offers a helpful nudge.

At 12:30 Lanie and Holly grabbed sandwiches from the cafeteria and, at Holly’s suggestion, holed themselves up in Holly’s immediate superior’s office, since the woman was out of town for the week. It took until exactly 23 minutes into their lunch for Holly’s pestering to break Lanie’s resolve. She had sworn to herself that she would keep the salacious details of her weekend to herself, but she had not counted on her friend’s dogged determination and one-track mind.

“But he is big, right?” Holly started in on her again after several attempts to wring out information had failed. “You can tell me that at least! I mean, he has to be with those hands!”

”Holly!” Lanie blushed even deeper.

“Oh, come on, Lanie, how could I not notice? He talks with them all the time, probably to draw attention. Don’t tell me you weren’t sizing them up at the bar?”

”I was a little distracted,” Lanie demured.

“Well, he must be big,” Holly continued. “It would explain how fidgety you’ve been all day.”

”What?”

”You’ve barely sat still all morning,” Holly said, grinning. “Still sore?”

She was, but not for the reason Holly assumed. Lanie looked at her friend. She did want to talk to someone about what had happened with Magnus, and Holly was not one to judge.

”Holls,” she asked slowly, “you’re sexually adventurous, yeah?”

”Well, I’ve never done it bungie jumping or anything, but sure. I like a bit of strange now and then. Why? Is dreamy detective pressuring you into a three way or something? If so, I suppose I could -“

”No!” Lanie cut her off quickly. “Nothing like that... it’s just that Magnus is a little... well, intense was the word he used.”

”Intense how?” Holly’s eyes were like saucers. 

“Intense like... dominant. In bed. Well, on the couch really...”

”Oh my god, like sex dungeon intense?” Holly enthused. “Please tell me the white knight cop has his own sex dungeon!”

”No he doesn’t have a sex dungeon,” Lanie laughed, Holly’s enthusiasm making her relax a bit. “His place isn’t big enough. But he might have... well... handcuffed me.”

Holly’s eyebrow quirked. “And?”

”And... spanked me ... a little.”

”A little?”

”A lot. I still can’t sit properly. “

”And?” Holly asked again, huge grin on her face. 

“And I liked it,” Lanie confessed burrying her head in her hands. “I mean, I was furious at first. He made me count! But it made me soooooo wet! And then after, when we, you know...”

”When he fucked you sensless with his massive cock?”

”Yeah, that. Well, he ordered me not to cum. Not until he let me. LET ME, Holls, and it was the hottest thing I ever heard.”

”But you did cum, right?”

”Oh god, yes. But he made me beg! And I did. I actually begged the man to let me cum. But Holly, I have never cum so hard in my life!”

”And the bite on your neck?”

”One of several. He totally marked me. And I loved every second of it. I am a bad feminist.”

Holly burst out laughing. 

“Is that what’s bothering you?” She asked, and Lanie nodded dumbly. “Honey, the whole point of feminism is that we get to do what we like. If having a strapping young detective tie you up dominate you gets you off, then all I can say is damn am I jealous!”

Lanie smiled and laughed at her friend’s enthusiasm. It was exactly what she needed to hear. 

“The problem is, since it happened he’s been all shy. We slept in the same bed and he didn’t touch me. I mean, not sexually.”

”You haven’t talked about it?” Holly demanded. 

“Not before or after,” Lanie confessed. “It just sort of happened.”

”Well then he’s probably nervous,” Holly suggested. “He let his freak flag fly, and now he’s waiting to see if you salute or burn it in protest.”

”You think?”

Lanie’s phone vibrated in her pocket. 

“Oh fuck!” she panicked, looking around to make sure the door was still closed. “I was supposed to text Magnus 15 minutes ago!”

”You got a phone passed the dragon at reception?” Holly was amazed.

”Magnus did. The boy’s a shameless flirt. Two minutes and the dragon was practically cooing and eating out of his hand."

"Well, in all fairness, it took less time than that with you," Holly teased her. "So, why the contraband phone?"

"I'm supposed to text him every hour to let him know I'm okay."

"Protective. Sexy."

"You think everything is sexy!" Lanie laughed.

"When you look like him, everything is," Holly shrugged. Lanie really couldn't argue with that. "Tell him I said hi, and that I appreciate his widening your horizons, and if he ever wants to branch out I am up for anything as long as there's a safe word."

" _Oh! Sorry! I’m fine. Lunch with Holly. Lost track of time. She says hello and nice work, btw. -L_ " Lanie read out as she typed, and pressed send.

"Coward!" Holly laughed. "What's he saying?" She asked as the phone vibrated again.

"Fuck! He's mad at me," Lanie worried, then read, " _This is not a game, Lanie. Stay in touch or else. -M_ "

"Or else what?!?" Holly giggled. "Ask him if he's going to tie you up again!"

"How about this," Lanie joked, typing, _"Or else what? You'll "discipline" me again? Is that a threat or a promise? -L_ "

"Perfect!" Holly proclaimed, and before Lanie could stop her she pressed "send" on the phone.

 "Oh my god!!!" Lanie screeched at her friend. "I can't believe you just did that!"

"Why not," Holly asked with a shrug. "You wanted to know how to bring up the subject, well now it's up. And I'm guessing it's not the only thing that's up," she added with a grin.

They stared at the phone as it remained silent, giggling sporadically.

"He's probably wanking off," Holly suggested.

"He can't, he's outside in a police car," Lanie told her.

"Lanie! You're up here eating with me when you could be down there eating him? Where are your priorities?," Holly laughed. "You better make sure he's not dead."

 _"Everything alright detective? - L"_   Lanie typed, hoping he wasn't mortified by what she had accidentally sent him.

The phone buzzed and the ladies bent over it to read the new message.

" _Every things fine now, but you might not be so smug once I get you home tonight. You're at 15 already, and this time it might not just be my hand I use- M_ "

Holly and Lanie looked at each other, then each picked up a pillow from the couch and screamed into it, jumping up and down.

"What do you think he'll use?" Holly asked, breathless.

"I have no idea!" Lanie replied. "Okay, here we go: _"Can't wait - L_ "

"I want DETAILS tomorrow!" Holly told her emphatically. "I consider my contribution of pressing send a large part of this, and am therefore thoroughly invested in the outcome! Plus, you're a lot more fun when you're getting some!"

The phone buzzed again and Lanie jumped. She had thought they were done for the moment, what could he be sending now? She picked it up, read it, and turned, she was sure, the color of a lobster.

"What is it?" Holly demanded. "Did he send dirty pictures? Because if he did, I'm sorry, but I'm looking at them!"

"You're not that far off," Lanie said in a shocked voice, and held up the phone for her to see.

" _At 2:00 I want a photo rather than a simple text. It's boring sitting in the car, give me something to look at. Something that no one else gets to see. Now get back to work and let me do the same - M_ "

"Oh man, this is so hot!" Holly gushed. "Why can't I have your life?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Lanie asked in shock.

"I'd start with a boob shot," Holly suggested. "I told you the other night - total boob guy."

"No, I mean, how am I expected to take dirty pictures?" Lanie asked. "I'm at work!"

"And we have a lovely office all nice and private for your use this afternoon! Haas won't mind, just tell him you need privacy to make final arrangements for Wednesday. You know what a freak he is for privacy. Now, I have to go back and try to concentrate on expense reports, you bring your laptop in here and start thinking of sexy poses. And don't you dare chicken out! And call me in when he responds - I don't have a hot man with a loaded weapon, so I need to live vicariously through you."

Holly kissed her on the cheek and went out to her desk.

Over the next few hours, Lanie became more and more embarrassed, but more and more excited at the same time. She discovered that not having to look him in the eye made it easier for her flirty side to come out. She found herself teasing him, sending a photo of her bruised bum for the second picture and implying that she was going to blackmail him again. It had taken her longer than expected to get a picture she was willing to send (really, who was happy with pictures of their ass?) and she was thrilled when Dominant Magnus made a return to threaten her with increased punishment. Of course, the thrill turned to panic when she managed to talk herself into promising to send him something "pretty special". What had she gotten herself into?!?

Which was how she found herself sitting on the sofa in Holly's boss' office, trying to get through a "sexy video" without laughing. She just wasn't a natural seductress. In the moment, perhaps she could be passing sexy, but sitting down and masturbating for a camera? She felt ridiculous. It wasn't until she made herself stop and think of Magnus, of how she wanted him to touch her, of what she wanted him to do to her, and what she wanted the video to do to him before she was able to manage a take where she made it all the way through. Once she pressed send she screamed into the pillow again and quickly called Holly back into the room to wait for the response.

“ _Lord woman, are you trying to kill me? - M”_

_”I’ll see you in an hour, Detective - if you can walk by then. - L”_

*** 

Magnus leaned against the reception desk, smiling lopsidedly at the receptionist. Lanie was due down to escort him to the main part of the building. He was going to have to make her suffer once he got her alone. His blazer was covering the worst of his erection, but from the way the woman was eyeing him he could tell it was not all hidden. Just what he needed, she probably thought it was for her!

Lanie looked so demure when she got off the elevator, it was hard to reconcile her with the lascivious woman who had so teased him in her video. Her face was flushed a delightful red, and her eyes were trained to the ground. Only the corner of her lips, twitching ever so slightly, revealed the naughty streak he had discovered in her.

"Ah, there you are Miss Greyson," the receptionist purred. "Your young man was just keeping me company. You best be careful, or I might steel him away from you!"

"Please don't try Agnes," she demurred, smiling at the woman. "I would never be able to compete with you!"

The woman smiled through pursed lips and looked at Lanie appraisingly.

"You know, deary," she said, "I had you all wrong. Here I thought, from what he had let slip, that you were carrying on an affair with Mr. Haas. You know, trying to sleep your way up the company ladder. And nobody likes that sort of girl. But young Magnus here tells me nothing could be further from the truth!"

"Indeed," Lanie said, as Magnus winked at her.

"Well, you've got a keeper here, sweetie. You know I'm not normally supposed to let visitors up after hours, but seeing as he's a cop - a _detective_ , and so young! - I guess it's okay. You're the last one here again, besides the new security, so make sure you lock up when you leave. Ah, young love!"

"Security?" Magnus asked, looking at Lanie. She hadn't mentioned any security. She shook her head, implying that it was the first she had heard about it.

"Private company. Very expensive and hard core. Hired over the weekend for off hours," Agnes explained. "I'm off to the pub. Behave yourselves!"

With a wink Agnes buzzed him through and he walked with Lanie to the elevator bank. Their fingers brushed against each other, and he felt a jolt of electricity shoot up his arm. From the startled way her eyes sought his he knew she had felt it as well. It seemed to take forever for the elevator to come, all the while he could feel her body swaying ever so slightly towards his. Finally the ding sounded and the doors opened.

The minute the doors closed, she was in his arms. His hand buried itself in her hair and she stood on her tiptoes to reach his lips, opening her mouth at once to grant him entrance. Groaning, he backed her up against the wall and ground his hardened cock into her. One of her legs lifted up and wrapped itself around his hip, his free arm reaching down to hold it up.

"Oh, god!" he panted, bucking against her, "you have know idea what you did to me today. I could take you right here in this elevator!"

She moaned kissed down his neck, running her nails over his chest. He was giving serious consideration to pulling the emergency stop button when he glanced up and saw the camera in the corner.

"Damn!" he cursed.

Lanie followed his eyes and chuckled.

"Yeah," she laughed, "The camera bank is behind the reception desk. Agnes is getting a nice little show right now."

"Well, let's not disappoint her," he purred, and reached down to grab her other leg and lift her up so she was straddling him. He moved her up and down, rubbing her against his erection. He could feel how wet she was, and her breathing was becoming ragged. "I should make you come, right here and now, on camera," he threatened. "It would serve you right for being such a tease."

"Magnus," she moaned trying to get her center even closer to him, driving him wild with how willing she seemed.

The bell dinged and the doors slid open. Groaning, he set her down and stepped away from her, pressing the button to hold the elevator open.

"After you," he said, as she straightened her skirt and walked out. He gave her ass a good hard smack as she went by him, and she jumped and squealed. "That's just a taste of what you have coming," he warned her.

"What ever you say, detective," she cooed, looking up at him from beneath her lashes with lust filled eyes.

"Damn, I've half a mind to take you right now, hard and fast, so that I can think straight," he confessed, following her down a dim hallway. "You have no idea how much of distraction that body of yours is to me."

Lanie whimpered and turned to look at him, teeth biting her bottom lip. 

"Yes, please," she begged.

"No, I don't think so," Magnus said, after thinking about it for a moment. "I've been suffering all afternoon, I want you to suffer a while too. I will take a taste though."

Grabbing her by the shoulders, he backed her into the nearest cubicle and sat her in the chair.

"What you were doing in that video," he told her, hand running up and down over his cock, "the way you were touching yourself. Do it for me. Now."

He watched with panting breath as her hand reached down beneath her skirt and found her slit. 

"That's it, spread your legs like a good little pet. I want to see you," he told her.

She opened her legs and ran her fingers lightly over the crotch of her undies. He hissed in his breath and stroked himself, watching her. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she slowly pushed the fabric aside.

"Look at me," he ordered roughly, and Lanie raised her eyes to his. He held her gaze for a moment before dropping his eyes to where her two slim fingers were pushing in and out of her opening, causing small shudders to run through her lower body. He could see the shiny moisture coating her swollen lips, and longed push her fingers aside so that he could let his mouth take their place. Instead he stepped forward, grabbed her wrist, pushed her hand in harder and farther one more time, submerging her fingers in her cunt, and slowly drew them out again. Lifting her hand to his mouth he sucked her fingers clean one by one.

Lanie moaned with want as he pulled her to her feet. He kissed her once, hard, and then placed her away from his body.

"Okay," he said with a shudder. "Play time is over. We are supposed to be working."

Lanie made a pathetic noise in her throat that severely tested his resolve, but he knew they had to start their search.

"We will play more later, don't you worry," he growled. "I've spent multiple hours thinking of all the ways I'm going to torture you tonight. The sooner we get some work done, the sooner we can get down to serious business back home."

He spared a thought for how quickly referring to his place as "home" to her had come to seem heavenly. He wanted to take her there now and lock the doors on the world for a week if not longer. To devote himself to learning every inch of her delectable body. Every moan and squeal she made while he tormented her to the heights of arousal. Every scream that escaped her lovely lips when he made her cum beneath him and on top of him and in every position he could think of.

"So," he said, pushing the thoughts aside and focusing his mind on the task at hand. "Where does Haas keep his secrets?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with the story if you've made it this far! I'm having fun writing. Let me know what you think!


	11. Discussions and Other Oral Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie and Magnus search Haas’ office. How will they cover when a security guard discovers them?

Magnus watched Lanie fumble as she went through the ring of keys to find the one that opened Haas' office. He had to admit to a hint of smugness over how her hands shook when she tried to get the key into the lock. Smiling, he took it from her hands and opened the door himself.

"Don't get too cocky, detective," she told him, "my hands always shake."

"I'm sure," he grinned, ushering her to proceed him in. Closing the door behind him, he whistled as he surveyed the room. 

Haas' office was immaculate. A sleek looking computer set up stood alone on his black shiny desk, no papers or writing instruments cluttering up the surface. A black leather high back chair was perfectly centered in front of it. A matching black sofa sat against the far wall. It was not, he was surprised to see, the one from Lanie's video. In the corner was a bar cart complete with decanters of what looked to be very expensive whisky.  No wonder he had scoffed at the cheap booze choices at Doyle's.

"If I wasn't on duty, I would love to find out what that tastes like," he murmured.

"Bad idea," Lanie shook her head. "He measures it daily to make sure the cleaners don't dip into it."

"Bit of an anal prat, isn't he," Magnus mused.

"More than a bit," she laughed.

"Where's the safe?" Magnus asked, switching to business mode.

"Here," Lanie knelt down in front of what he had taken to be part of the heating conduit under the window ledge. Pressing a hidden lever, Lanie swung a panel out. A box safe with a digital code display was set inside.

"Damn," he breathed. 

"Paranoid as well as anal," Lanie told him. "He changes the password at the start and end of every day, but I figured out how the pattern he uses works."

"Aren't you clever," he complimented her, stroking her hair.

"He gives me papers to put in there most weeks," she explained with a shrug. "My brain likes solving puzzles, so after a while I started looking for sequences, common themes, that sort of thing."

"You'd make a good cop," he told her.

"You've seen my aim, would you really want me handling a gun?"

"They actually train us for that, you know," he smiled.

"I think I prefer your instruction," she looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye.

"Really? Well, we'll have to continue your lessons then sometime soon."

She turned back to the safe and started typing in numbers. Magnus moved closer to her, looking down in interest to watch her work. It was instinct pure and simple that alerted him. Whoever was coming was quiet, walking down the hall and testing the doors. Security, he thought, hired to patrol after everyone had left. They were in the process of committing theft, and they had not locked the door behind them. They were about to be in serious amounts of trouble.

Realizing there was no place to hide and no escape, Magnus seized on the only thing he could think of. Grabbing Lanie by the hair with one hand, he roughly pulled her around to face him while his other hand unzipped his pants. She opened her mouth to ask him what he was doing, and he pushed her down onto his cock just as the door to the office opened quietly.

Magnus moaned with pleasure as he slid into her mouth. She froze in shock for a moment, but then her jaw relaxed and she began to suck him greedily, moving her head up and down. Magnus heard a low chuckle from the doorway. Looking up his eyes met those of the stocky security guard standing there, watching as Lanie pleasured him on her knees. Magnus brought one finger to his lips and entreated the man with his eyes to stay silent. The guard grinned and gestured for Magnus to continue. He lingered there longer than Magnus liked, eyes looking covetously at Lanie. Magnus wanted to punch him. Finally the man slipped quietly back out and snicked the door shut.

Lanie slowly pulled back off him and looked up into his eyes.

”Sorry about that,” he mumbled. “I didn’t see any other way to explain our being in here.”

"No, it was quick thinking," she praised him. "I didn't even hear him."

"Yeah, I don't know where I got the idea from," he said with a grin, making her laugh. Reaching down, Magnus stroked her face. "I don't believe I told you you could stop," he said, and urged her head back down.

Lanie made a mewling sound and ran her tongue up the underside of him, tracing his thick vein. Clasping him in her hand at his base, she licked the precum off his tip and the drew him once more into her mouth, taking him in until he could feel the back of her throat. Holding the back of her head in place, Magnus began to thrust in and out of her, trying to be gentle but feeling his need rise. Her throat worked, sucking on him hard as her hand stroked the lower part of his shaft. Occasionally he would thrust too hard and she would gag around him, but she managed to keep going, taking him tirelessly. Magnus felt his balls tighten as she reached up with her free hand and fondled them gently. 

“Oh god, I’m going to cum,” he ground out softly.

She moaned around his cock and took him faster, head bobbing in time with his the jutting of his hips.

“Oh Lanie, god!”

He held her in place as he shot wave after wave of hot sperm down her throat. When he was completely spent he slowly pulled out of her mouth and held his fingers up to her lips.

”Swallow it,” he whispered intently.

Never taking her eyes from his she deliberately swallowed and then opened her mouth to show him it was empty. 

“Good girl,” he praised her, and leaned down to kiss her as his body shook with the after shocks of his orgasm. 

***

Lanie was a bit in shock at herself. She could not believe that she had just been caught, in her boss’ office of all places, on her knees with a cock in her mouth. And rather than stop in embarrassment like any normal person would have done, she had gone right on sucking him, pretending not to notice the security guard watching from the door. But worse than that, worse than everything else, was how much she had gotten off on it. 

Oh, not because of the security guard himself, she hadn’t even seen him, though the thought of being observed did add to the thrill. No, it was the way Magnus had taken complete control of the situation. From grabbing her hair and pulling her onto his throbbing dick, to the way he kept thrusting into her as he looked at the other man, asserting his claim on her body. She had felt entirely mastered, and she loved it. 

“You know, we really should talk about this,” he said, pulling her down onto the couch next to him cradling her against his chest.

”Why?” She asked, only half joking. She was enjoying this new dynamic so much, she was desperately afraid disscussing it would bring an end to things. 

“I’m screwing up my job, Lanie,” he said. “First the other morning, now tonight. I was so distracted thinking about you touching yourself earlier, about how you tasted, about how I couldn’t wait to get home so I could make you beg me to fuck you sensless, that I didn’t make sure the hallway was secure or the door was locked. We could have been in serious trouble, and that’s on me.”

”Maybe,” she allowed, “but if it wasn’t for this...” she made a vague hand gesture between them, “whatever it is with us, you would never have come up with such a clever way to throw off suspicion, would you?”

”True,” Magnus said with a laugh. “I can honestly say I have never been in a situation on the job before where forcing a witness to suck me off would have been a viable option.”

”I wouldn’t say forced,” she demured slyly. “More like strongly encouraged.”

Magnus laughed again and kissed her soundly. 

“I want you, Lanie,” he told her baldly, looking her straight in the eye. “Not just to fuck once or twice and get it out of our system, I want to own you.”

”Um, that’s a little...” she searched for a word to describe the combination of terror and desire she felt at his words  she knew she should be offended. Part of her wanted to be. She wasn’t.

”Intense?” he supplied. “Offensive? Fucked up? Believe me, I know. But the way you respond to me, the way you seem to automatically give yourself over to my desires, and let them become your desires too... without ever losing who you are... I’ve been with submissive women before, but none of them seemed such a natural fit.”

”This is all completely new to me,” Lanie confessed. “I mean, I had an ex tie me up before, but he just used that as an exuse to take his own pleasure and not worry about what I was doing. First and last time I ever did anything like this before. But with you... god, Mags, the other day in my apartment... I have never cum so hard in my life. And every time you order me to do something, every time your voice goes all hard and controling, I can barely stand, you make me want you so much. I don’t knos what this is exactly, but please don’t ask me to stop. It might be the one comand of yours I won’t obey at this moment.”

”I am a week, selfish man,” he groaned, pulling her closer into him. “I know I should cool things with you, I know I am taking advantage of the trauma you recently suffered, but I just can’t bring myself to let it matter. You are mine, Lanie Greyson, and god help you I am not letting you go.”

 


	12. Claimed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Lanie head home to begin the new phase in their relationship.
> 
> Lots of smut ahead!

In the end Magnus watched the door while Lanie punched the code into the safe. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to be in this office, particularly on her knees in front of the hidden compartment, without blushing again. Her eyes kept straying over to where he stood, leaning against the wall, ear pressed to hear if any foot steps approached. 

"Damn," she whispered as the safe door swung open. There was absolutely nothing in it.

"It was always a long shot," Magnus said, as she closed the safe back up. "Haas has to know that we're on to him. If he is involved, that is. With the police presence in, and around the building, he would have been foolish to keep anything here and for all his faults we know he's not a foolish man. Hopefully we'll have more luck at his personal residence."

He gave her a hand up, pulling her to her feet and against him for a moment, free hand grazing down her back. She looked up into his eyes and saw a smoldering in their depths.

"Shall we get out of here?" he asked.

"Yes please," something in the way he said it had made the muscles in her stomach flip again.

They walked out the door and over to her desk so that she could grab her things. As Magnus helped her into her coat two security guards came around the corner. As they spotted her and Magnus the shorter one nudged his fellow and whispered something in his ear. The two of them laughed as they leered at Lanie. 

"You heading out Miss Greyson?" the first guard asked.

"You know her name?" Magnus asked, eyeing them.

"Yes, sir," the taller guard replied.  He turned to Lanie and explained, "Mr. Haas showed us your picture, told us you might be staying around after hours."

"Of course," she nodded, then explained to Magnus, "he knows my habit of moving my schedule later when given the chance."

"He said you liked to work late," the short guard said with a snicker. "He didn't mention the... uh... project you would be working on, or you might have company."

"Well then, maybe we can keep it between just us then," Magnus said, draping his hand over Lanie's shoulder. "Wouldn't want to get the young lady in trouble."

"I think that can be arranged," the guard smirked. "You two get home safe now, have a good night."

"Oh, we will," Magnus winked at the man.

"I'm sure. You're off to a damn good start already."

Lanie turned away, face flushing with embarrassment as Magnus shook hands with the man and laughed his good nights.

"Proud of ourselves, are we?" she asked as the elevator doors closed and they started down to the lobby.

"Can you blame me?" he asked her, grinning. "Either of those men would have given their right arm to in my shoes tonight. Can't say I blame them." 

"Do you think they'll tell Haas what we were doing?" she fretted as he opened the car door for her.

"I'm fairly certain they already have," he laughed. "I certainly hope so, anyway."

"You know I would like to actually keep my job," she sighed, feeling the inevitable blush stain her cheeks. "At least for the moment. Rent payments and all."

"Oh, don't worry," Magnus grinned with confidence, "he won't fire you. Not until he gets you down on your knees himself."

"Lovely," Lanie shuddered.

"It is indeed," he smiled. "Not that I will ever allow him to know that. Now, not to change the subject, but before we get back to mine and completely loose ourselves again, we should discuss limits."

"Limits?" she blinked at him.

"Well, we've established that I have a tendency to like to push things a bit. I completely intend to test your boundries, make no mistake about that. But I don't want to do anything that you truly object to. So if you have any hard fast rules on things you can't accept, best tell me now."

"Wow," she stared at her hands. "This is a conversation I didn't expect to be having today."

"How about I start then," he suggested. Lanie nodded dumbly, her mind whirling. This was so not her. She was shy, quiet, cute, not the kind of girl that handsome, kinky detectives took an interest in. "I will never do anything that would permanently injure or scar you."

"Is that a thing?" she asked, feeling her voice skitter up.

"Not with me," he laughed. "Punishment, spanking - by hand or various instruments, that sort of thing as a form of discipline, sure. But I am not into pain for its own sake. Nor would I ever want to brand you."

"I think I'm more scared now than before you started to reassure me!" she told him.

"Ehehe, don't be. I'm just getting the more extreme out of the way," he assured her. "I will never break your confidence and discuss what we do together. It is our business and no one else's, unless we mutually decide to make it so. That being said however," Lanie felt her stomach drop as he grinned with a maniacal glint in his eye, "I have noticed a certain... shall we say... exhibitionist streak in you. Today in the office, for instance. You knew that guard was watching us, and far from stopping what you were doing, you committed even more to putting on a show. Or the elevator. You would have let me take you there and then, Agnes watching."

"You may be right," she admitted, unable to meet his eye.

"No need to be ashamed, darling. I find it tremendously sexy. What I'm asking is permission to tease it out of you a bit. Or, if not permission, at least not a directive not to."

Lanie thought about it for a moment. A deliciously wicked sensation surrounded her at the idea, but she was definitely scared at the same time.

"Here's the thing," she told him, speaking quickly before she could change her mind. "I am a 'good girl'. I always have been. Proper, well behaved... But I find that I am aroused by the idea of being... forced for lack of a better word, but willingly forced... into being not quite so good. Into being bad, in fact. I don't really know what I want you to make me do, because I would never consider doing it. That's the thrill."

"I think I can manage that," his smile split his face. "So why don't we just play it by ear."

"Thank you," she sighed, then quickly added, "no bathroom play!"

"Agreed," he said quickly, scrunching his nose. "Well, we're home. Are you ready?"

Lanie swallowed nodded, not really sure how to answer.

***

Magnus was practically vibrating with excitement as he led Lanie into his apartment. She had set almost no limits on him, put her trust, and her body, completely into his hands. Her one request he agreed to without hesitation. He was rather fastidious and had no desire to defile her in that way. Not when there were so many other, pleasurable ways to defile.

Taking her hand, he pulled her into the bedroom and opened his armoire. He remembered, just a few night's past, how worried he was that she would see his collection hanging there. Now, he relished how her eyes went wide, scanning the various toys. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked her up and down, his lips twitching upward.

"Take off your clothes," he told her. "Slowly."

He saw her swallow and take a deep breath before her hands went to work on the buttons of her shirt. One by one the small disks pushed through the fabric, revealing more of her creamy skin beneath. When the last button was undone she pushed the top off of her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, then slowly slid her skirt down her slim hips and let it drop as well. His eyes devoured her body as she unhooked the front clasp of her bra and bared her full, lovely breasts, nipples peaked and rosy. Finally her satin undies joined the pile on the floor, and there she stood, gloriously naked before him.

He ran his hand over his hardened erection as he looked her up and down, savoring the sight. This was the first time he had seen her completely bare, and it was a sight to cherish.

"You are gorgeous," he told her.

Turning to his cabinet, he reached in and selected the silver chain. Walking over to her he reached out and tweaked her right nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She let out a soft little noise and rose up onto her tiptoes. Taking the chain, he opened the clip on one end and secured it around her peak, loving the gasp she gave, then turned to her other breast, repeating the process. When he was finished, the chain hung suspended between her hardened nipples. He reached back into the armoire and pulled out a weighted pendant that he attached to the center of it. He reached out and grabbed the pendant, using it to pull her towards his bed, then pushed her onto it.

"Hands and knees," he told her, "legs spread apart, close to the edge of the bed."

When she had positioned herself to his liking, he stood back once more, looking at her. God, he was a lucky man. Turning, he inspected a few of the devices hanging in his cabinet, pretending to consider using each one. Finally his hand came to the short riding crop and he lifted it off its peg.

"Now, as I told you, I am not someone who gets off on causing you pain," he said, walking back to the bed and placing the palm of his hand on her ass. "However, there is a matter of disobedience."

Magnus took the riding crop and dragged the end of it up the inside of her thigh.

"You were in a very dangerous situation today, pet," he told her.

"I was at work!" she protested. 

Magnus lifted the crop and brought it down, not gently but not terribly hard, and her left cheek.

"I did not tell you to speak," he said mildly. "You were given a very reasonable piece of instruction, to text me once an hour, so that I would know you were safe."

He ran the head of the crop between her legs, hearing her breath catch as it slid between her folds. He brought it back out and looked in satisfaction at the slick coat of moisture clinging to it.

"You did not follow instructions, and caused me great amounts of anxiety. I very nearly called in a raid on the building, wasting valuable police manpower and exposing my presence on the unit investigating the murder."

"I didn't realize," she began, and he brought the crop down harder on her other cheek, the dampness on it causing a greater sting. 

"Are you going to stay quiet, pet, or am I going to have to gag you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She pursed her lips together but remained silent. "Good girl. Now, we established that you were up to twenty swats for your lateness. You did redeem yourself a bit with that video, however, so I believe I will give you a choice."

While Magnus pretended to give the matter some thought he "absently" flicked the end of the crop lightly over her clit. She was panting now, clearly enjoying his teasing.

"I will let you pick. You can have all twenty slaps with the crop now," she whimpered at the idea and her arms trembled a bit. "Or," he offered, "I can give you five, sparing your cute little ass from more than a dusting of pink."

"Yes please!" she gasped, and he smacked her cunt hard for speaking out before going back to his casual flicking.

" _However,_ " he stressed, "if you opt for the five instead of twenty, there will be additional action taken tomorrow in place of the spanking. Your choice, darling, what will it be?"

Magnus crossed his arms and stood back, watching her turn it over in her mind. The practical part of her would want to get it over with now, but from the way she eyed the crop in his long fingers, he could tell she was still a bit afraid of it. Taking five now would help ease her in to the idea of the spanking.

"Five," she told him, speaking quickly before she could change her mind.

"If you're sure," he grinned. Walking back to the bed he rubbed her ass softly with his left hand, then brought the crop down hard with his write. "You know what to do," he reminded her.

"One," she said, through gritted teeth.

"Very good," he reached down and tugged at the chain hanging between her tits, pulling her nipples, before bringing the crop down again.

"Two!" she gasped. He let the head of the crop dip down again and soak up some more of her juices.

"You're getting off on this, aren't you pet?" he asked, showing her the damp crop.

"Yes, detective," she answered, blushing. He loved how she automatically used his title in these situations. It had never occurred to him before how erotic it could be to have someone he was controlling refer to him that way. The fact that she was actually party to his case, a detail that technically made their current actions verboten, only added to the appeal. 

"Filthy girl," he purred, and brought the crop down three quick times in succession as she struggled to get the numbers out.

Magnus tossed the crop onto the bed and cupped her sex with his hand. She was drenched. Reaching with both hands he gently spread her open and examined her glistening center, before dipping his head and running his tongue along her labia. She moaned bucked her hips a bit and he chuckled at her responsiveness. Straightening, he quickly made short work of his clothes, tossing them onto the floor before climbing onto the bed and positioning himself behind her. With how he had situated her, he could see their reflection in the full length mirror. Her eyes wide and lust blown, the silver chain with its heavy pendant swung between her distended nipples.

"Do you know all I have been able to think about all day, pet?" he asked her as he rubbed the throbbing head of his cock back and forth along her, getting it nice and slick.

"No," she shuddered.

"All day in that car, sitting there with nothing else to occupy me, all I could think about was this lovely little cunt of yours, and how good it felt wrapped around my cock."

He brought the tip of his cock to her clit and circled it, before sliding back to sit right at her entrance, ready to slide into her.

"Would you like that, darling?" he asked her, "would you like me to fill that delicious little hole of yours, until there is no room left inside you? To rut into you like a beast in heat and spill myself inside you, coating your walls with my hot sperm until runs out from between your lips?"

"Yes," she moaned, pressing back into him, trying to take his cock into her.

"Well then," he grinned, messaging her ass as he rocked against her, almost breaching her entrance, "I think you're going to have to beg."

There eyes met in the mirror and he leered at her. She hesitated for just a moment, until he reached around under her and pulled the nipple chain again, at the same time as he slapped her clit with his rock hard cock. He saw the moment when she snapped, surrendering to the sensations he was inflicting on her body.

"Oh god, please fuck me," she begged. "Please fill me up. I want to feel you deep inside me. I want to make you cum. Take me. Own me."

Growling, he thrust forward, sheathing himself to the hilt inside her hot, wet, cunt, balls slapping against her as he bottomed out. As she cried out he pressed her shoulders down onto the bed, leaving her ass lifted. One hand digging into her hip, the other holding her by the back of the neck, he pistoned into her.

"Keep your eyes open," he commanded, catching her eyes in the mirror. "I want you to see how you look, face down, ass up, screaming as I fuck you. It's gorgeous. You asked me to own you, well I'm going to do just that. I'm going to fuck my way into your very soul, and you will never get me out. When I'm done with you, you will feel me inside you all the time. You will be wet for me any time I am in the room, or even a voice on the phone or a name in someone else's mouth. You will be ready to receive my cock, wherever I choose to put it. Oh yes, darling, this lovely little cunt is just the beginning. I will be claiming all of you before we're done, and you will love every minute of it. Now cum for me, pet. Show  me how much you like feeling me master you."

He could feel Lanie's walls seize up and spasm, and then she was milking him for everything he had. Grunting like an animal, Magnus surrendered to his lust, letting it drive him as he rutted into her, grinding her into the mattress and shooting his seed deep into her core. With a final moan he collapsed on top of her, bringing their bodies all the way down onto the bed as he kissed the back of her neck. He was absolutely spent and more completely at peace than he had felt in a long, long time. 


	13. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lovers nestle in contentment, but how long can that really last?

A warm haze of contentment surrounded Lanie when she woke the next morning. True, she was sore in places she hadn't realized she could be, but she was also wonderfully, gloriously, sated. She lay on her side, Magnus' long, lean body spooned around her, his strong arm holding her fast against him. She could feel him pressed hard against the small of her back, and smiled in awe that even after all of their activity last night he could still be so aroused.

She wished desperately that they could just stay in bed, lazing the day away cuddling and exploring each other, until their lust eventually took over and drove them to the extremes of passion once more. The idea of rising from bed and going back to work, where she would have to face Haas and what he may or may not have learned from his night security was about the least appealing thing she could think of.

The hand resting against her stomach snaked upward, and she gasped as her sore nipple was fondled by a set of large fingers. Against her naked back she felt the twitch of a large, very awake phallus. Instinctively she pushed back with her buttocks and heard Magnus groan.

"Good morning, lovely," he mumbled, kissing the top of her head. "Sleep well?"

"Mm-hm," she sighed, snuggling into him. "You?"

"Best sleep I've had in forever," he replied, sounding as happy as she felt. "Can't begin to imagine why."

His hand drifted downward and slipped between her legs. Lanie's breath caught as she automatically opened up for him, lifting her top leg to grant him access.

"Sore this morning darling?" he asked, stroking her well used but still shockingly wet sex teasingly.

"A bit," she admitted, then added self-consciously, "not too much, though. If you want."

"Oh, I want," he purred. "I very much want. But breakfast first. We need to rebuild our strength."

"But that means we have to get out of bed," she pouted.

"Not a morning person, are you pet?" he asked her, chuckling.

"Nope," she confirmed, trying to bring the sheet up over her head.

Magnus laughed and tugged it back down. He brought his hand up from where he had been teasing her licked his fingers, before sending it back down to smack her lightly on her breasts.

"Come on, up you get," he told her, sitting up and taking her with him. "No need to put on pajamas, Cori won't mind if you're naked. And I will mind if you're not."

Grumbling at his cheerfulness Lanie got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. She did take a moment first to stop and admire Magnus in all his naked glory. For a slim man he was incredibly well formed. His torso was all hard sculpted muscle, tapering to a well defined vee. His rampant cock stood up proud, just begging for her attention. His legs went on for days, hardened from a lifetime habit of running. 

"See something you like?" he grinned, catching her staring.

"Quite a bit," she answered, raking her eyes up and down him.

"Saucy girl," he laughed, swatting at her. She smiled and scampered into the bathroom.

When they had eaten they enjoyed a shared shower, during which Magnus took great delight in washing every crevice of her before dropping to his knees and lavishing his attention on her with his tongue, bringing her to her release.

He led her back out into the bed room and toweled her off, cock still straining. Backing her up against the wall, he wrapped her leg around his waist. With deceptive ease he picked her up and brought her down hard onto him. Her arms clung around about his neck, her head tilted back to rest against the wall as he plundered her depths. It did not take long before his thrusting became erratic and he felt his climax descend on him, shooting wave upon wave of cum into her, setting off another orgasm in her.

Walking over to the bed, still lodged within her trembling body, he laid her back onto the bed.

"I wonder, my dear," he whispered in her ear, "if you remember - you still have a portion of your discipline awaiting you."

Lanie froze. She had, indeed, forgotten.

"I thought as much," he smiled, seeming to read her expression. "Well, fortunately for us both, I remembered. Your punishment, pet, will be two fold. First, you are forbidden underwear today."

"What?" she stared at him in disbelief. 

"You'll wear a knee length skirt, bra, blouse, but no knickers," he clarified. "I want you to feel me running down your thighs today, I want to know my cum is painted on your legs."

Lanie swallowed, feeling her arousal grow again, even as panic was setting in. Magnus turned to the armoire and took something out, palming it.

"As for the other thing," he smiled, a sadistic glint in his eye and held up a silicone plug with a little blue jewel on the end.

"What is that for?" she asked with rising fear.

"You know what it's for," he told her with an evil grin. "This is the other part of your punishment. Now roll over, we have some work to do before your ready for it.”

***

Magnus warched an obviously nervous, but just as obviously turned on Lanie walk into her office building, a proprietary grin on his face. When he had kissed her good bye he had been able to smell their combined arousal. Between the mark still standing out on her neck, the dampness seeping down between her thighs, and the little jewles plug embedded in her ass she was thoroughly marked as his. He knew he would be front and center in her mind all day, and smugly relished the thought that she would be fighting against constant arousal as she went about her job. God knew he would be.

A sudden tap on his window jolted Magnus out of his reflection, and he turned to see Erik Hass looking at him through the glass. He rolled the window down and raised his eyebrow at the man. 

“Detective,” Haas said, imbuing the world with thinly veiled contempt, “I wondered if we might have a word.”

Gritting his teeth, Magnus got out of the car and looked warily at the other man. What could they possibly have to talk about?

”I would ask you up to my office, but I don’t think we need to involve Lanie in this,” he said thougtfully. “There’s a coffee shop across the street, why don’t we go there.”

When they had each ordered and sat down at a corner table with their beverages, Haas favored Magnus with a patently fake smile.

”No doubt you are wondering why I asked you here,” he began.

”No doubt,” Magnus agreed with a small smile. 

“I wanted to apologize,” Haas said, taking Magnus completely by surprise. “When I met you the other night, I doubted your sincerity. I thought your interest in Lanie was a ruse, a set up, if you will, to give the policd access to the company building without the bother of a obtaining a pesky search warrant.”

Magnus’ mind raced. He had underestimated Haas. The man might be distracted by his infatuation with Lanie, but he hadn’t let that blind him to their machinations.

”You underestimate the lady’s appeal,” Magnus said.

”Hardly,” Haas gave a thin lipped grin. “I underestimated yours. I have known Miss Greyson for quite some time, and I have never before seen her act quite so impulsively as she did with you that night. Particularly with one so...with one such as you, it seemed out of character.”

”I’m glad,” Magnus smirked. “I wouldn’t like to think I was just another notch on her bedpost.”

”Hardly,” Haas looked at him with hard eyes. “As I said, I doubted the veracity of your relationship. Until yesterday.”

”The security guard told you,” Magnus faught to keep a smile off his face.

”Of course,” Hass’ lip curled at the thought. “However, by that point I had already adjusted my thinking. You see, detective, I am a man who values my privacy. When my staff is hired, particularly someone in a position of delicacy such as Miss Greyson, I have them sign a significant number of disclosure agreements, as well as other, quite binding, proprietary legal documents. Cell phones, as I’m sure you are aware, are not permitted. We must always be vigilant against the threat of corporate espionage. However, every so often someone does manage to get a phone past Agnes, dragon though she might be, and for that reason I have established certain backups.”

Haas smiled as Magnus began to feel the beginnings of dread in his stomach.

”You see, my building is wired, using the latest Haas Electrics technology, of course, to intercept all cell phone transmissions sent from within its walls. The analyst, a man named Sven, has firm instructions to notify me the second this happens. Now, as much as I, personally, may have appreciated the photos, and most especially the video that Lanie sent you yesterday, I think we can both agree that she might not wish Sven to witness any more such displays. I would appreciate if you would discourage her for from further performance art sent from the office.”

Magnus’ face was a mottled red, anger and embarrassment fighting for dominance. The idea of Haas looking at, and no doubt salivating over, the pictures thay Lanie had sent him, of him watching the video of her running her hands over her exposed body, was enough to make him feel physically ill.

“You will erase those photos and the video,” he snarled.

”Oh, I don’t think so,” Haas purred. “I told you, proprietary rights. The photos belong to me.”

”Maybe, but LANIE belongs to me, and I will not have your eyes on her flesh.”

”Well, aren’t we the cave man,” Haas taunted him. “Relax, detective, they have already been deleted from the network. Fortunately, I will have them forever saved in my mind. And my memory is quite exemplary, I assure you. Especially with such incentive.”

Magnus’ fist was clenched, and it took all his will power not to lay the other man out on the floor.

”Now, if you will excuse me, I do have a company to run, and my lovely, lovely assistant will be expecting me.”

With a half smile of victory Haas sauntered out of the shop, leaving a fuming Magnus in his wake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks anyone who is reading!! :)
> 
> Is anyone else having trouble with comments?


	14. Long Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie and Magnus deal with a long day and questions from a well meaning friend.

Magnus didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to just march into Haas Electrics and pull Lanie out, never to return. The idea of that slime running his eyes over her made him feel murderous. Lanie was his, he would not allow Haas to sully her.

The idea that the photos he had requested, no - dared, Lanie to take and send him had been seen by her lecherous boss, or that Haas had watched the video of her touching herself that she had made for Magnus, had his hand resting on his gun. He did not believe for a second that Haas had deleted the images. No, he would have them stored somewhere, would take them out and look at them, getting off on pictures of Magnus' woman.

Taking a deep breath, Magnus made himself relax his jaw muscles and unclench his fists. Haas wouldn't do anything to Lanie while the office was full of employees. He wouldn't be helping anyone by charging in there now and making a scene.

Opening his door and throwing himself back into the car, Magnus glanced at the clock on the dash. It was almost time for Lanie to check in with him. A sudden wave of panic washed over him. Would she send him another picture? They hadn't discussed it this morning, they were too busy with other things.

The thought of her cute little arse as he gently stretched her, working her to the point where the tiny plug would be able to side inside of her made his cock twitch. She would be feeling it, she was not used to anything being there. He had instructed her to leave it in all day, and had warned her not to wash the cum off her legs. He told her he was going to check at the end of the day to make sure he was still on her and the plug was still in place. She knew that if she disobeyed him he would come up with something else, something worse, to subject her to tomorrow. 

That would be it, he was sure of it. The picture she would be sending him would be of a small blue jewel sparkling, her milky thighs in the background stained white with his cum. He had to stop her. He couldn't let her send that picture. If she did, Haas would soon be in possession of it. 

Picking up his phone he quickly opened the text function.

"DO NOT send any pictures or videos today. Just text me 'okay'. - M"

He didn't tell her why. He wasn't sure what to tell her. Was it really in her best interest to know that Haas had seen her? Would it do anything other than humiliate her? She already had to deal with the man's lingering eyes, his wandering hands. She knew that he would have heard stories, graphic descriptions most likely, of her on her knees servicing Magnus in his office. She did not need to know that he had personally seen photos and videos of her naked body. 

It was a long, stressful day. Magus couldn't wait for the clock to turn 6:00 so that Lanie would walk out of that building and into his car. They could be back to his place in ten minutes, he could be inside her in eleven. The need for her was a tangible thing, the likes of which he had never experienced. 

At quarter to there was a knock on the window. Magnus leapt, hoping that his girl had gotten out a few minutes early. Instead, Anne-Britt stood there, smiling at him. He rolled down the window and smiled back. He had her to thank for bringing Lanie into his life, well, her and a psychotic killer. 

"Hey, lover boy," she teased him. Normally the name would have made him angry; now he felt his face turn red with embarrassment. This must be how Lanie felt all the time. He got a reign on himself and forced a bored, irritated expression onto his face.

"What do you need?" he asked her shortly.

"Kurt needs to talk to you back at the station," Anne told him.

"Now?" he asked, glancing at the clock. Lanie would be out any minute. 

"Is that a problem?" she asked, looking at him strangely.

"I'm supposed to pick up Miss Greyson now," he hedged. "Can't I come in tomorrow?"

"Kurt said it's important," Anne replied. "I can get Lanie and take her to your place."

"I'd really rather do it myself," he insisted.

"I'm afraid that's not your call Martinsson," she stared at him like he was going crazy. "Now get to the station."

Grinding his teeth Magnus turned over the ignition. What was wrong with him anyway? It was only a short delay. He would be with her soon. Anne-Britt had known her since she was a little girl, he could trust her to take care of Lanie. Her aim wasn't as good as his, true, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Magnus pulled out of the parking lot at speed. The sooner he talked to Kurt, the sooner he could get back to Lanie.

***

Lanie could not shake the thought that everyone was staring at her. Bad enough that Holly had gleefully pointed out a whole new set of bite marks on the back of her shoulder and neck this morning, (of course the top Magnus had picked out for her to wear showed them off perfectly), but she was convinced that she smelled of spent arousal. As he had explicitly told her she would, she could feel where his seed had run down her inner thighs and was now drying to her skin. The scent of him clung to her and filled her nostrils, causing her own arousal to heighten. The small silicone toy that he had slowly and gently worked into her virgin arse just made things worse. It was not painful, but the sense of fullness was new to her, and its very presence made her feel clandestinely naughty.

When Haas walked in the look he gave her was even more lascivious than usual. The way his eyes lingered on her breasts and then lowered down to her lap, small smile playing over his lips, was terrifyingly knowing. Obviously the guards had told him about her activities last night in his office. She braced herself, waiting for the reprimand that she had to admit she deserved, but he just collected his phone messages and walked into his office. She was almost disappointed. Surely it was coming, she would rather get it over with than feel it hanging over her head all day.

Her phone buzzed and she looked around to make sure the coast was clear before pulling it out of her pocket and looking down. There was a message notification from Magnus on her screen. Glancing at the clock quickly she was reassured that it was still a few minutes before 11:00. She had not missed her appointed time to text him. She was relieved - she was not up for another round of punishment.

" _DO NOT send any pictures or videos today. Just text me 'okay'. - M"_

She looked at the phone with a puzzled expression. Had something happened? Lanie was surprised at how disappointed she felt. She had spend the last half hour trying to think of how she was going to torment him this morning to get him back for sending her into her office covered in cum with a plug inside of her. It appeared, though, that he was not minded to play.

The day dragged on. Lanie's only contact with Magnus were terse texts once an hour. She would send a simple " _OK_ " and he would acknowledge with " _Thx_." That was all.

When 6:00 finally rolled around she could not get out of there fast enough. She logged off of her computer and hurried down in the elevator to the lobby. Running out of the building, she scanned the parking lot for Magnus' old junker. Her eyes looked from car to car, but she didn't see him anywhere.

A car horn startled her and she jumped, suddenly feeling very skittish as she thought of the murderer on the loose. Had he gotten to Magnus? Was her hero even now bleeding out somewhere, life trickling away because he had had the misfortune to be assigned to her?

"Lanie!" a female voice called out.

She turned and saw Anne waving to her out of a car window and walked over to the vehicle.

"Anne?" she asked, looking at her friend. "What's going on? Where's Magnus? Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Anne assured her. "They needed him for something down at the station so I'm relieving him for a bit. Come on, get in."

Lanie opened the door and got into the car. Anne leaned over and gave her a hug, then pulled back, looking at her. Lanie was confused at her stare for a moment, then realization flooded over her and she raised her had to cover her neck.

"Stop that!" Anne admonished, pulling her hand away from her neck. "God damn Lanie!  Did Magnus do that to you?"

"Um... maybe," Lanie felt her face turning bright red.

"Wait... the turtle neck you wore to the station the other day... was that because... Lanie!"

"Anne, calm down."

"Calm down?" Anne stared at her. "Lanie, your neck is covered in teeth marks! And I'd be willing to bet it's not just your neck either, is it? Open your shirt."

"What?" Lanie scoffed at her. 

"Open your shirt! I want to look at your chest."

"No! Anne, you're being ridiculous!"

Ignoring her, Anne leaned over and yanked down her top, revealing more bite marks and bruises trailing down onto her breasts. Anne's eyes went wide and she shook her head in disbelief.

"Ridiculous, huh?" Anne asked as Lanie pulled her top back up. "Tell me Magnus didn't do that."

"I can't," Lanie admitted.

"Lanie, what is going on with you and that boy?"

"He's not a boy," Lanie snapped. "Besides, you set us up as a couple."

"As a cover!" Anne shook her head. "Those marks on your body, they don't look staged to me. And, not to be indelicate Lanie, but you smell like sex and I  _know_ you've been at work all day. I practically had to draw my gun on Magnus to get him to leave here and go to the station. This is not a cover, Lanie. So I'll ask you again. What is going on between you?"

"I'm crazy about him, okay?" Lanie blurted out. "And yes, the cover isn't fake anymore. Not since the first morning before we came into the station."

Lanie watched her friend's face try to decide whether it wanted to be excited or horrified. If she wasn't so concerned for Magnus she would have laughed at Anne's dilemma.

"This is... Lanie, how the hell... I mean, it's great! But no, it's not great! Magnus could get in real trouble for this."

"No!" Lanie objected. "He can't get in trouble for it! Anne, he tried to stop it, tried to keep everything professional. That first night, I kissed him and asked him to sleep with me. Just sleep I said, but in the same bed. His bed. He said no, that it wouldn't be appropriate. He slept on the floor, or tried to at any rate. Then the next day, I was embarrassed and ran off without telling him. Stupid, I know. We got into a huge fight at my apartment and I... well, I pretty much ordered him to have sex with me."

"You?" Anne asked, visibly trying not to laugh. "You, quiet little Lanie who can barely look at a guy and stands all of five foot two ordered a gorgeous, six foot two, well muscled, armed detective to have sex with you?"

"And I kind of threatened his job if he didn't" Lanie dropped her head into her hands and heard Anne burst out laughing. "Don't laugh, it wasn't funny! We were still dealing with the aftermath when Inspector Wallander called and ordered us to the station."

"Well that explains your behavior that morning. So I'm guessing that wasn't the last of it?"

"No. We're... well, I guess the term would be 'involved'. But this can be a good thing! We don't have to worry about people not buying Mag's cover if it's real!"

"Mags?" Anne smiled at her. "Oh Lanie, I admit part of me was hoping this would happen but not like this! After the case wrapped. You would spend a couple days apart, a week maybe, and Magnus would realize that he missed having you around. That he enjoyed spending time with you and that you were a good kisser. He'd call and ask you out on an actual date, and then you could both stop being so lonely."

"That's a lovely little happily ever after Anne," it was Lanie's turn to laugh. "But I am perfectly happy with the way it actually happened. As long as Magnus doesn't loose his job. So you can't tell anyone at the station about this."

"Lanie!"

"Anne, please! I am helping you all out as much as I possibly can. I went along with this whole thing at your request. Okay, yes. Mags and I might have broken the rules. Does Wallander or Lisa really need to know that? His job means everything to him, and you said yourself that Magnus is a good cop. He's taking good care of me - "

"I'm sure he is!"

"I mean it, Anne! I feel safe with him."

"You've fallen for him," Anne accused. "You've fallen hard for our posh little snarky angel detective! Admit it!"

"Maybe," Lanie mumbled.

"Maybe my arse! It's written all over your face. Okay, I'll keep your secret, but you have to tell me one thing."

"And that is?" Lanie asked.

"How was he?" Anne's face split into a huge grin. "He's good, isn't he? Those hands, that petulant little mouth, those legs. I hear rumors. Now I want the truth. Is he? Good?"

Lanie could feel the ache in her center from where he had pounded into her that morning, the toy in her ass, the dried cum on her thighs.Her body was covered bruises. She looked and felt like a whore.  And all she could think of was how she couldn't wait for Magnus to be done at the station so that she could go home to him and let him mark her all over again, inside and out.

"Good doesn't even begin to cover it," she said, much to her friend's delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this! A real life writing project (and an irritated writing partner) got in the way of updating for a couple days.


	15. Bargaining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne-Britt interrogates Magnus, and Lanie is woken from a nap in the most delicious fashion.

Magnus was feeling irritable as his car rounded the corner onto his street. The “urgent matter” had been nothing of the kind, but rather a chance for Kurt to lecture him about the upcoming house party. They went over the guest list, all if which Magnus had already committed to memory during his hours in the car, as well as who was connected to what organizations, and the assumed layout of the home, all things he was well aware of. Really, did Wallander have such little respect for him? His answers were terse and pointed, not bothering to hide his resentment at being called away from his rendezvous with the woman who had come to occupy his every thought. Eventually even Kurt had to admit that Magnus knew what he was doing and released him for the night. 

All his crankiness evaporated as he pulled into his parking place and vaulted out of his car. Lanie would be inside, sure to greet him with her warm smile and delicious embarrassment staining her fair skin. He loved how easily she blushed, how her eyes got so wide and scandalized, but that she still allowed him to do as he liked, welcoming his depravity. 

“Whatever you’re making pet, it smells divine,” he said.

When he entered his kitchen, however, it was not his adorable lover he found sitting at the table, Cori snuggled into her lap, reading a magazine, but rather Anne-Britt. 

“Thank you sugar plum, I hope you like it,” she replied, looking up at him.

”Anne-Britt!” He said, unnecessarily. Of course she would be here. She was Lanie’s protection while he was away. He didn’t know how he had let himself forget that.

”Where’s Lanie?” He asked, trying to sound nonchalant. 

“Taking a nap,” Anne-Britt told him. “Something seems to be wearing the poor girl out. Must be the stress of the investigation.”

”Must be,” he tried to keep his voice noncommittal. 

“Magnus!” she reprimanded him, standing up and whacking him in the head with her magazine. “What were you thinking? Well, never mind, you obviously weren’t thinking, at least not with your larger head.”

”I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he hedged, trying to keep his face innocent.

”Oh please, don’t even try to lie to me! I know Magnus. Just come clean about it already!”

”She told you, did she?” he asked, attempting to keep the hurt out of his voice. He wouldn’t have thought it of her, she knew how much trouble he could get into.

”What, is that all you think of her? Of course she tried to cover for you!” Anne-Britt was offended on her friend’s behalf. 

“Then how...”

”You sent her off to work looking like she’d been attacked by a wild dog!”

”Oh... that...” he had forgotten about the love marks he had colored her with. He had meant for Haas to see them, not his colleagues. 

“Yeah, that!” Anne-Britt nodded. “Really, Magnus! Are you that insecure that you need to all but brand the girl? You know what’s at stake here! Kurt will have your badge for this! And all because you couldn’t wait a week to get into the girl’s pants!”

”It might be worth it,” he groaned, sinking into a chair and lowering his head into his hands. 

“What?” her voice skitted up. “What are you saying? I know you Magnus, and I’ve heard stories around town. You get more play than is good for any man. It’s not like you were hurting for female companionship.”

”She’s different,” he growled.

”Different how? What, is it the forbidden fruit thing? Always wanting the one person you can’t have?”

”No!”

He had wondered this himself, briefly. It wasn’t that he was never turned down, but if he was honest he had to admit that he generally ended up shagging any girl he fancied. Was the fact that Lanie was off limits, that he was told no in reference to her, and therefore a challenge that drew him to her? But then he thought of her soft, deep blue eyes looking up at him, the way a smile reached into every part of her body, how quick her mind was as she worked with him, and how perfect her body felt when he pressed it to his.

”No,” he repeated quietly. “It’ Not just that.”

”Then what?” she pressed him.

”You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you,” he sighed. “I am completely smitten with the girl. I can’t get her out of my head, and I can’t get enough of her. If it costs me m job, so be it. But I would ask that you not turn me in until we catch whoever is threatening her. I need to make sure she’s safe, and I can do that best while still wearing a badge and a side arm.”

”Why Detective Martinsson!” Anne-Britt’s smile was huge. “It appeares you are human after all! I knew you two woulf be perfect for each other!”

”What?! You set this up on porpose?”

”Oh, come on Magnus, you’re about as eligible a bachelor as they get! And Lanie, while shy at first, is a force to be reckoned with once you get to know her. I just thought it would take longer than twelve hours for you to realize that. But I suppose you’ve always been quick.”

”Thanks, I think?”

”Okay, I won’t say anything about the two of you, but you better keep her safe! If anything happens to that girl on your watch, your badge won’t be the only thing you loose. Am I making myself clear?”

”Crystal. And don’t worry, I will not let anything or anyone hurt her.”

”Including yourself, Magnus.”

”Right. Got it.”

”Well, why don’t you go wake her up. Dinner will be ready in fuve minutes.”

”I will,” he stood up, but paused before heading out of the room. “Thanks Anne-Britt. For everything.”

***

She had been deep in a dreamless sleep when she suddenly felt the weight of a heavy body pressing her into the mattress. A hand was held hard against her mouth, preemptively stopping any sound she might make, and she could feel hot breath on her neck, just under her ear.

”Ssh... not a sound, pet,” purred a familiar voice like melted chocolate. “You don’t want our guest to hear and wonder what I’m doing to you.”

Her legs were gently but insistantly spead apart by his knee, and the pressure on her body abated as he rose up, still keeping her mouth covered, to lift her skirt above her waist.

”Good girl,” he moaned, staring between her legs. “You followed all my instructions perfectly. Look at your gorgeous thighs, all defiled with my cum. And that little gem just setting off the perfection that is your cute little ass.”

He reached into his pocket and drew out his phone. Pointing it at her, he snapped a picture of her spread open cunt, making her whimper in embarrassment.

”I’ll want to be able to look at that when I can’t be with you,” he told her. “To see how dirty you let me make you. I wonder, love, have you thought about what it would feel like to have me fill you while that obscene little plug still sits in your other hole? I bet you have. Nod if the answers yes.”

Closing her eyes she nodded her head, swallowing in anxious anticipation.

”Hmm. So have I. Shall we find out?”

She looked down as he settled back onto her and realized that he had taken himself out of his trousers. Teasingly he stroked his cock along her lips, coating the head in her slick.

”Now, Anne-Britt is in the kitchen, and we don’t want her to find out just how much of a naughty little thing you are, so I am going to need you to stay quiet. If you do, if you can keep from making any noise while I fuck you for five minutes with that toy in your ass, I will reward you later. If not... well, let’s not think about that until we have to.”

She shuddered and made another whimpering noise, barely audible, as he positioned himself at her entrance.

”Hush now,” he cooed, and slowly pushed his length into her. 

He was large to begin with, normally stretching her as far as she had ever been stretched,  but with the plug taking up more space within her she felt like she was going to burst. She could feel every vein, every ridge on him as he began to move within her. Her breath came in gasps, smothered by his large hand, and she had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from making any noise.

”Dear god, that’s so good and tight,” he groaned, burying his head in the pillow to muffle his moans of pleasure. “I love how wet you get for me. What do you think, love? It would take me no time at all to cum right now. Shall I send you out to dinner with your friend with another load of my sperm running down you legs? Do you think she would notice? Or would you rather just be dripping your own arousal?”

Of course she couldn’t answer - he didn’t want her to. He just wanted to torment her with his words. Reaching down he began rubbing her clit with his free hand, hastening the speed and ferocity with which he thrust into her.

”That’s it, darling,” he purred. “You’re going to let go for me, but you’re going to do it silently or I will be very disappointed in you.”

She was on sensory overload. All of her focus was going into staying silent, and it  left her no control over the rest of her. His words, whispered as they were into her ear, were igniting her imagination and his skillful manipulation of her body was pushing her over the edge. It did not take long before her release came crashing down around her, sudden and intense. In an effort to still the cry that was threatening to burst from her she reached up and, catching him by surprise, turned the hand that was covering her mouth so that she could bite down hard on it. She was fairly certain she tasted blood.

The sudden pain to his hand was all it took to drive Magnus to his own finish, and he spilled deep into her, crying out into the pillow as he came.

The two of them lay there for a moment, still joined, as they fought to regain their breath. It had only been minutes, but Lanie felt as though she had run a marathon. Magnus leaned forward and kissed her long and deep before gently pulling out and rolling off of her.

”Hello, gorgeous,” he smiled. “Dinner should be ready. I thought it only polite to help you work up an appetite first.”

”You can wake me up that way whenever you like,” she grinned, stretching and sitting up.

Rising shakily to her feet she tottered to her suitcase and pulled out a pair of panties.

”And just what do you think you’re doing?” He asked her, raising an eyebrow.

”Getting ready for dinner,” she replied, dread suddenly sinking her stomach.

”Oh no you don’t,” he said, snatching the underwear from her hands. “The day isn’t over yet, and you have a punishment to finish.”

”Magnus, you can’t really expect me to have dinner with Anne whilst not wearing undies,” she protested.

"Can't I?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Please, Magnus?" she wheedled.

"Hmm..." he pursed his lips. "And if I relent and give these to you, what do I get in return?" 

She almost said "anything," but she had begun to get the measure of him, and she was afraid of what that might lead to. Instead she eyed him cautiously.

"What do you want?" she asked, looking longingly at her knickers.

"Oh, Lanie, the list of what I want from you would keep us here well past the time dinner gets cold," he told her with a rough growl to his voice. "But for now, I'll settle for this: I will give you back your knickers to wear for dinner tonight - if you agree to  _not_ wear any for the length of the house party."

"But that's three days!" she was horrified.

"You know, I think you're right," he smirked. "I told you I want you ready for me whenever I want you. Well, how much easier will it be for me to take you if there's not a bothersome piece of fabric blocking your sweet cunt? It goes without saying, of course, that you will also only be wearing skirts or dresses."

The very thought was so deliciously wrong that she was getting wet again. Three days with nothing between her most private area and his wandering hands or thrusting hips. Three days when a gust of wind could leave her bare for any eyes that chose to look her way. She didn't know if she could do it. But the alternative was to go out there now and eat with the woman who had known her all her life, who had changed her diapers as a baby, with her recently stretched cunt dripping Magnus' cum. She could already feel it seeping out of her, she knew once she moved it would only get worse. She could deal with the party later, decided. For right now, she needed her undies.

"Fine," she said, and he grinned as he tossed her the panties. 

"Have I told you how much I am looking forward to the next few days?" he asked, coming up behind her and rubbing against her ass. She gasped as the plug rocked inside her. "We are going to have so much fun."

 


	16. Special Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie tries to get it together for the beginning of the party. Will Magnus be a help or a hinderance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidently posted this chapter part way through due to technology snafu. I decided to just finish the Lanie section and repost, rather than have a strange edit hanging out here.

Lanie spent much of Wednesday in organized chaos. Magnus had driven her to her apartment so that she could pack for the house party. As she sat on her bed going through her binder and triple checking that all tasks had been completed, she suddenly realized one major oversight. The opening banquet, one of the highlights of the entire event, was a horribly formal affair. In all of her life’s upheaval of the past few days she had neglected to get herself a propper dress. Considering that the guest list was primarily made up of political elite, captains of industry, and dilettantes she could not just throw on something from her closet. In addition, they would need to secure Magnus a tuxedo. 

She glanced over to where he lounged in her reading nook, nose buried in an old copy of Sherlock Holmes he had found on her shelf. There must be somewhere nearby where they could rent an evening kit for him. The last thing she had time for before they headed out to the country house was a prolonged shopping extravaganza.

Her phone rang and she looked down to see Haas’ name pop up. With the inante instinct of a born alpha male Magnus stood up and sauntered over to where she sat on the edge of the bed. She showed him the caller id and he grimaced before she hit accept.

”Hello Erik. Yes, I was just going over the list.”

Picking up her binder, she began checking off the prep list with him, confirming that all the necessary staff should be arriving that afternoon. It was at these times that she remembered why she had initially liked him, before his attention to her had turned inappropriately personal. They worked well as a team. 

She was just running through the arrivals when she felt her knees being pushed insistently apart. Reaching down she tried to swat Magnus’ hands away, but he kept them firmly on her thighs, opening her legs as he sank down onto his knees next to the bed. With a hard tug he pulled her closer to the edge and leaned in to place a wet kiss on her inner thigh.

Suddenly it was very hard to concentrate on what her employer was saying, as a long, agile tongue had begun exploring her nether regions. Her eyes rolled back in her head as he pushed into her, lapping at her core. She tried to keep her voice normal as she answered monosyllabicly. Her free hand reached down and gripped a fistful of golden blond curls, unsure of whether she meant to pull him away or push him deeper into her. He hummed with laughter and she felt it reverberate through her body. She had completely lost the thread of what Haas was saying. Only the security of knowing she had the details well in hand kept her from worrying that she was missing something important as Magnus began adding his fingers to his onslaught.

”...are you sure detective Martinsson won’t feel horribly out of place?” Haas was asking.

The sound of Magnus’ name brought her back to her senses and she tried to focus.

”After all, these will be the creme de la creme of society. Not exactly the beer and pretzle crowd he is probably used to.”

”I’m sure Magnus will be fi-iiine,” she gasped as his tongue flicked over her clit. “He knows how to conduct himself appropriately.”

She glared down at him where he was chuckling as he stroked his fingers against that spot inside her that drove her over the edge.

”Erik, I have to go,” she said suddenly, as it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to breath. “The... the florist is on the other line. Yes, I will check in later. Bye. Magnus, you bastard!”

She panted, tossing her phone to the side and moaning as she yanked hard on his hair. Surrendering herself to the avalanche of feeling rolling through her she let go and cried out his name as her orgasm hit her.

The smug, self satisfied grin on his face made her smile despite herself. He kissed up her body before pushing her back and lying next to her on the bed. 

“I suppose you enjoyed that?” She asked unnecessarily.

”Mmm, quite a bit,” he smirked. “So did you, judging by your reaction. I will never grow tired of hearing my name screamed out like that, though our neighbors might. So what did Haas want?”

 “Oh, the usual. Are the staff confirmed, do we have a final guest count, do you know how to eat with silverware at the dinner table. That sort of thing.”

”You’re joking,” he stared at her.

”Not by much. It was his last ditch attempt to get me to leave you at home. He was afraid you mught be overwhelmed by the company and feel out of place.”

”Was he now? Well, we’ll just see about that.”

”Mags, there is one thing I forgot in everything that has been going on.”

”What’s that pet?” he asked.

”Tonight’s opening banquet - it’s a black tie event,” she said hesitantly.

”And?” he raised his eyebrow.

”Well, you’re going to need a tux.”

”That does seem to be implied by the ‘black tie required’ on the invitation” he mused.

”You knew?”

”I haven’t been totally distracted by you to the loss of all else,” he told her with a grin. “I have managed to put in a little time while you were at work going over plans for the event. I am supposed to be working a case, after all.”

”Of course!” She was embarrassed to say that for a few moments she had forgotten that she was an assignment and not just his... girlfriend? Was that the word to use for what they were doing?

”Don’t worry, darling, the tux is taken care of,” he assured her.

”You’re doing better than I am then,” she confessed with a sigh. “I totally forgot to get a dress!”

A ring at the door bell grabbed their attention and she automatically rose to answer.

”Stay here,” he ordered, suddenly all business. 

Hand resting on his side arm he walked out of the room. She heard the door open and a brief, murmured conversation, and he returned holding a long rectangular box, tied with a red ribbon.

”Delivery,” he told her, setting the box down on the bed. “If you don’t mind I will open it.”

”Of course,” she nodded.

She hadn’t ordered anything, she had no idea what this could be. As he opened the box and pulled the tissue aside he revealed an absolutely stunning deep blue satin designer gown. She drew in her breath as he pulled it out of the box and held it up. Sapphires sparkled in a small box underneath it. Next to them was a small card. Wordlessly Magnus handed it to her, his eyes looking at her with a strange intensity.

”’I have been keeping you so busy, I am sure you haven’t had time to shop for yourself,” she read aloud. “The jewels are on loan, but the gown is yours to keep. If I’ve been paying attention half as much as I think I have the size should be correct. I can’t wait to see you in it.’ I can’t believe Haas would do this! It’s so high handed, even for him!”

”It is a beautiful dress,” Magnus pointed out.

”Well, of course! He has exquisit taste! But still! Dressing me up like a doll he wants to show off? It’s so presumptuous!”

”So you’re not going to wear it?” Magnus asked in an odd tone.

”No, I’ll wear it,” she sighed as he put the dress back in the box. It really was gorgeous, and of course it was just her size. “It’s too late to worry about finding something else. You don’t mind, do you?”

She looked over at him anxiously, but to her surprise he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

”I don’t mind,” he assured her. “You’ll be on my arm, after all.”

”That I will,” she smiled and kissed him lightly. “We should get going, I need to be there to organize the set up.”

 


	17. Preparation for the Main Event

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our leads clean up quite well!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The previous chapter originally posted unfinished, and as is only contains a Lanie section. Sorry! Technical difficulties! (damn cell phone typing!)

The estate was gorgeous, of course. Acres of perfectly designed park surrounding a virtual village of buildings at the center. The large main house was practically a castle, and small cottages, stables, and the like were scattered about it. A long lawn stretched down from the back to a lake picturesquely framed by a boat house to one side and a gazebo to the other. The crews had set up a large tent with tables, and just south of that a stage for a band fronted by a dance floor. Lanie was currently marching around like a tiny field sergeant inspecting every inch of it, clip board in hand.

Magnus grinned as he watched her out the window. She had been surprised that he was willing to let her alone, but he knew she valued her work, and he didn't want to get in the way of her performing her duties. Haas had yet to arrive and, though she was not aware, Magnus was not the only operative that the police department had managed to infiltrate the party with. One of the catering staff was an undercover officer. At first Magnus' feathers had been ruffled when Anne-Britt had told him that they had placed someone else on the grounds, but considering the sheer size of the place it made sense. He would not be able to be everywhere at once, and a second set of eyes out at the pavilion allowed him to slip off elsewhere without worrying overly much about Lanie's safety.

It was going to be an interesting three days, he could already tell. They had arrived around one o'clock to find the house keeper, Gita, awaiting them, or Lanie at any rate. A matronly woman, she had obviously developed a good long distance relationship with Lanie over the phone in the weeks leading up, and the two quickly had their heads together. The first hiccup came when Gita handed Lanie the room assignments to look over. It appeared that they had been assigned separate rooms. Not only that, Lanie was to be housed in the north, family wing of the house, just two doors down from the master bedroom, while Magnus was in what would once have been the servants' quarters on the attic floor. Lanie had been infuriated, but it was no more than Magnus had expected. Let Haas play his games, it was Magnus who would win in the end. 

In point of fact, being relegated to the attic, not that he planned on sleeping anywhere Lanie was not, suited Magnus just fine. It was far enough away from Haas and his primary staff that he could slip out and wander the building and grounds without too much interference. He had studied the layout of the manor, and knew that the more important guests would be staying in the far wing to the south. Haas' study and personal quarters were near Lanie. He had been pleased to see that Holly was in a room next to Lanie, so at least there was someone near by who could be counted an ally. It was a bit surprising to him that girl was even invited, but Lanie had explained that he always liked to have a few extra women at his parties who were fun and lively. Added entertainment for the male VIPs, he supposed. The fact that in all likelihood Lanie would have been one of those women had he not been here was not a thought that pleased him, though he was sure Haas would have done his best to keep her for himself.

After he had unpacked he made a brief tour of the floor he was on. There were five other rooms along the hall, just two bathrooms to be shared between them. As noted, it was not the luxurious portion of the house. He made note of the urn of flowers sitting at the end of the hall, and checked the door to the stairs to see how much noise it would make on opening. Fortunately Haas seemed to keep diligent staff, as it didn't so much as squeak when he opened it. The stairs themselves were a bit more tricky, as the wood was old and a bit rickety. One would have to be sneaky to avoid being heard.

He had told Lanie that he would meet her at the door to her room at 6:00 to escort her to the party. He gave himself plenty of time to get ready. He knew her belittling boss thought him nothing more than a hanger on, and he was looking forward to wiping the superior expression off his face. To that end, he buffed the dress shoes he almost never wore, took extra care with the tying of his tie, and made certain his onyx cuff links were just so. He had put on a bit of muscle since he last wore his custom made Armani tux, so the white shirt strained a bit more across his chest, but the effect was not unappealing. His curls were still a bit wild, but he had managed to tame them back a bit with product. All in all he thought he looked presentable. It was, after all, hardly his first event of this sort.

***

Lanie looked at herself in the full length mirror and swallowed nervously. Sapphires shone dangling from her ears and on her wrist. The dress was gorgeous, there was no doubt about it. It also, while being exquisitely made and completely respectable, left almost nothing to the imagination. The blue satin top had was strapless and angled down over her breasts, which were lifted up and held in place by a tight bustier underneath that also synched in her waist. The dress hugged her down to her hips before flaring out a bit as it skimmed down her legs. A slit up one side was hidden until she walked, and then gave a tantalizing glimpse of her leg up to her mid thigh. There was hint of old Hollywood glamour and simplicity about it that she loved, but she feared she wouldn't be able to pull it off. It didn't help that she was unused to the heels she wore. She had done her best to cover the marks on her skin with concealer, but of course there was only so much that could be done. At least the ones on her breasts from the first day had mostly healed.

A knock at the door sent her hurrying to check her makeup, more than she normally would do, and her upswept hair one more time before taking a deep breath (difficult in her confining underthings) and opening her door.

The nervous smile on her face froze when she saw not Magnus there as she had expected, but Erik. He was dressed to the nines in an obviously expensive tuxedo. His eyes took her in hungrily as she stood there in her formal wear. He didn't quite lick his lips, but he might as well have.

"Lanie, you look divine," he said, walking into her room uninvited. 

"Erik," she stuttered, unsure how to respond to his presence. "I thought we were meeting out front by the receiving line."

"I just wanted to check and see if there was anything you needed," he purred, fixing his perfect tie in the mirror against the far wall. "I trust the room is to your liking?"

"About that," she felt her back stiffen. "May I ask why Magnus is in the attic and not with me?"

"I didn't want to assume, my dear," he replied with a sly smile. "And you must admit, he was a last minute addition. I had already put you here, so that I could personally see to any needs you might have - for the party of course. Since the room only has a single bed, it was clear that other accommodations would have to be found for him. The attic rooms were all that remained."

"A single bed is perfectly fine for us, Haas, we tend to stay close when we sleep," a male voice spoke from the door.

Lanie spun to see an absolute vision in her door way. Despite reassuring Haas that he would fit in perfectly, she had been secretly worried herself that Magnus would be out of place in a rented tux at the lavish party. The level to which she had been completely wrong was staggering. Lounging at ease against the doorway, Magnus looked like nothing more than a Greek god. The clearly designer tuxedo jacket was fitted tightly over his shoulders and back, tailored perfectly to his tall, lean proportions. The material looked so lux that she was almost afraid to touch it. The slim cut of his trousers was just this side of scandalous, and she was fairly certain she could make out the outline of what she knew to be his large even in repose cock if her eyes strayed to long in that direction. His shirt strained against the overworked buttons holding it together over his muscular chest. The red sole of one Louboutin shoe where it could be seen crossed over the other proclaimed that even his feet were clothed in luxury.

"Magnus!" her voice was barely a squeak. He had left her literally breathless.

"My darling, you will outshine every other woman there tonight. It is remarkably unfair. That dress is perfection on you."

It was rather much for him, looking as he did in that moment, to use the word perfection on anything else. The mention of her dress, however, brought her mind back to what she was wearing and how she had acquired it. 

"Thank you Mags," she smiled up at him before turning to her boss. "Erik, while the dress is beautiful, and I do appreciate your realizing I would be in need of it, it is quite inappropriate. Especially the jewelry!" 

"Lanie, I have no idea what you're talking about," Haas began, looking confused.

"About the jewelry," Magnus said, suddenly, reaching into his inside breast pocket. "I believe this piece was missing."

As her jaw fell Magnus produced a narrow velvet box and opened it to reveal a necklace that perfectly matched the earrings and bracelet she was wearing. He tossed the box to Haas, who caught it awkwardly before crossing to stand behind her and fastening it around her. When the clasp clicked close he dipped his head and pressed his lips gently to the nape of her neck. 

"You?" she asked, felling like an absolute idiot.

"As the card said, the jewelry is on loan from our family jewelers, but when I saw the dress I knew you had to have it."

"Your family jewelers?" Haas asked. Lanie was glad to see that at least he looked as shocked as she felt.

"Covelt and Associates," Magnus shrugged. "We've patronized them for years. You did know grandfather was a cabinet minister, didn't you? Well, Lanie, shall we?"

And pulling her arm through his he led the way out of the room.


	18. A Former Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unwelcome face from Magnus’ past is determined to make trouble. How successful will she be?

After all the things she had done with him, all the things he had done to her, the sight of Magnus in a tux was making Lanie more shy than she had been since the first night when she saw him standing in the doorway of the pub. He was so gorgeous, so poised and refined in his elegant evening wear. The pooling heat in her center reminded her shockingly of her lack of underwear. She was suddenly struck with the fear that her wetness would seep through and stain her dress shoud she try to do anything as foolish as sit right now.

”God, that dress was made for you,” he groaned, adding to her worry with what his words never failed to do to her. “I can’t wait till the party is over so I can fuck you in it... and now that I think about it, maybe I won’t.”

Lanie was unable to hold back a gasp that started as shock but ended as longing. Magnus chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

”Like that idea, do you?” He asked, smiling wickedly. “Me fucking you over one of these tables? Or maybe up against a tree just outside the tent, while all these old stuffed shirts watch, pretending  to be horrified, but all the while storing away the sounds of your moans, the look of your flushed, wanton face, the way your back arches as I slam into you, over and over, and that final, shamless scream of my name as you come apart around my cock, memorizing it all so that they can replay it later as they wank off in their beds tonight?”

“No,” she whimpered, sounding unconvincing even to her own ears.

”Oh, I think you do,” he grinned, and leaned down to purr directly into her ear “I can smell it on you.”

 “Magnus, my boy! I thought that was you! What are you doing here?” Magnus straightened as an elderly gentleman approached them.

”Cyrus,” he greeted the man, reaching out to shake his hand. “Good to see you!”

”Am I to hope from your presence here tonight that your family has finally convinced you to stop playing cops and robbers and get a respectable job then?” Cyrus asked.

”Afraid not,” Lanie, watching closely, saw the muscle twitching in Magnus’ jaw. “I’m simply here as a guest of this lovely lady.  Cyrus Widser, Lanie Greyson.”

”Ah, you’re Haas’ secretary, aren’t you?” Cyrus’ eyes flicked over her dismissively, though they did linger on her curves in a way that made Lanie’s skin crawl and Magnus tighten his grip on her arm.

”Executive Assistant,” Lanie corrected him, though he didn’t seem to hear.

”Sonja’s here, Magnus,” the man said, winking at him. “I’m sure she’d love to see you again. You’ll have to save her a dance. It’ll be just like old times, eh?”

”I’ll do that,” Magnus smiled. 

“Let me bring you over now,” Cyrus suggested, looking over to where a tall, long legged brunette with dark eyes was staring at them. A small, expectant smile played about the woman’s lips.

”Oh, I’m afraid I can’t,” Magnus began to demure, but Lanie smiled up at him determinedly and withdrew her hand from his.

”It’s alright Mags,” she said with an overly bright smile. “I need to check in with the caterers anyway.”

”If you’re sure,” he looked over to where the woman was managing to make sipping champagne an erotic event.

”Of course,” Lanie felt as though she was signing her own death warrent. “Have fun.”

”Yes, Magnus, let the girl go tend to her tasks. Come talk to your friends.”

”Find me when you’re done,” Magnus ordered, then let the man lead him over to the glamorous female clearly making eyes at him.

Lanie was completely demoralized. Anne had told her Magnus came from a posh home, but she hadn’t realized exactly how posh. It made sense, of course. He fit in perfectly with these people. Looking at him now with Sonja draped on him, kissing either cheek and lingeringly running her hand down his lapel he looked far more appropriate than he did in his junker car, tiny appartment, or dive bar with Lanie on his arm. What was she thinking? She had fallen for him hard and fast, but there was no way the relationship would last. He would find the killer and the danger would be gone. How then would she ever manage to keep his interest? It was doomed.

***

Magnus thought his face was going to crack from the fake smile plastered on to it. He had seen Cyrus’ name on the guest list, of course, and knew he would inevitably have to talk to the friend of his Father’s, but Sonja had not been listed. Last he had heard (from his parents, of course), she had been summering in Greece. He heartily wished she were there now.

They had had a brief liaison over one holiday in college, which had ended as quickly as it began when he realized her disdain for anyone not born to wealth was not just a childhood phase but a corner stone of her personality. His declaration that he intended to join the police force rather than follow his father and grandfather’s examples by parlaying a successful career as a barrister into a government position had been the final nail in coffin of her ardor, or so he had thought. The way she was eyeing him now, though, led him to believe that perhaps her interest wasn’t as dead as his after all. Damn.

”Magnus,” her husky voice was all too obvious, better suited to the bedroom than a party. “It’s been far to long.”

She kissed him on either cheek, leaning into him. He couldn’t help contrasting how gaunt she felt pressed up to him, all skin and bones after Lanie’s enticing curves in just the right spots. 

“Sonja,” he greeted her, “how was Greece?”

”Hot and poor,” she shrugged. “Not worth talking about. I am much more interested in you. What managed to bring you back to good society?”

”My girlfriend,” he told her pointedly, attempting to disentangle her hand from the lapel of his jacket.

”Girlfriend?” Sonja pouted, sticking out her lower lip in what he knew was supposed to be a sultry manner. “How could you be so cruel to me? Where is she so I can scratch her eyes out?”

”Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Cyrus told his daughter, “it’s just Haas’ hired girl. Nothing for you to worry about.”

”I beg your pardon?” Magnus felt his face go cold.

”Oh come now, my boy,” Cyrus laughed. “We all know how it is. These working class girls are all well and good for a fling, but you’re getting to be of an age to settle down, and when that happens... well, breeding will out in the end.”

”Is that so,” his hands were itching, and for a moment he gave serious consideration to planting the man a facer. If Cyrus had been ten years younger he probably would have.

”Of course!” Cyrus grinned. “And on that note, I see a perfect little piece over there by the bar. I am at the other end, you know. Wife gone and so able to dally with the help all I like. Oh, don’t look like that Sonja! I might be your father, but I’m still a man. And that little filly is in need of being reigned in. If you will excuse me, I will leave you two to get reacquainted.”

With another wink he left them, and Magnus’ stomach turned as he realized he was walking over to where Holly stood at the bar. His instinct was to follow and run interference, but Sonja had taken hold of his arm and he couldn’t free it without causing a scene. He would just have to trust that the girl could take care of herself. He’d be sure to keep a watchful eye on her from afar though.

”You must remember, Magnus,” Sonja was cooing. “How good we were together?” 

“If that was the case, why did you end things?” he asked. 

He had allowed her to call things off in order help her save face. She had responded to his chivalry by telling all of their mutual friends that she had ended it because he was a sexual deviant and gone into lurid, highly embellished detail about his bedroom habits. It hqf not been a pleasant year for him following that, as rumors grew and festered. It had been some time after that before he had trusted a woman enough to share his preferences with her.

”Becaus you were just a silly, gangly boy then,” she told him, spreading her hands out on his chest, fingers dipping inside his jacked. “You hadn’t filled out so nicely yet. Although some parts of you were always nice and large.”

Before he knew what was happening her hand dipped down and cupped his crotch and her lips were pressed to his.  His head flew back and his own hand shot down instantly and snatched her wrist, pulling it away.

”Stop it this instant, Sonja,” he snapped at her. “I told you I had a girlfriend, I told you I was here with her. You will respect that.”

”I wish you would respect yourself,” she told him bitterly. “Everyone is laughing at you, Magnus. A cop with a secretary girlfriend? Who do you think you are? Does she let you tie her up and beat her, is that it? Maybe use the handcuffs? I suppose you’d need to find her sort of girl for that, no self respecting woman would go for your perverted games.”

”I seem to recall you liked them well enough, right up until the end,” he growled, not wanting to think about it.

The idea of coupling with this selfish bitch the way he did with Lanie, who gave herself so freely willingly to him did seem perverted. He needed to get away from her. He needed to find Lanie and be reminded of the good things his life held now, not the sordid, twisted regrets of his past. Looking around he just saw the back of her blue dress as she was running away from the party. He heard Sonja laugh cruely and turned to see a triumphant smile on her face.

”Oh dear,” her voice thrummed with false concern, “I hope we didn’t upset her.”

He caught Holly’s eye from the bar and realized she was glaring at him. The pieces fit together. Lanie had seen Sonja kiss him, seen her groping hands, and from the direction she had been looking she would not have been able to see Magnus’ response.

Damn! She couldn’t possibly think he wanted Sonja to accost him, could she? But from the way she had fled he knew he already had his answer. Damn, damn, damn.

 


	19. Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie runs into Haas in her distress. Will he make things worse? And can Holly help Magnus make things better?

Lanie ran as fast as her legs would carry her, but still couldn't manage to outrace the image of Magnus, lips pressed to another woman in passion while the dark haired vamp ran her hands all over his body. Five minutes after Lanie had left and there he was, right where she had left him, not even bothering to hide his dalliance with another woman. She supposed that they had never discussed exclusivity, but she hadn't thought he would fool around with another woman while at a party with her.

Lanie forced herself to stop and take a breath. What was she doing? She had just said it to herself. Magnus was not one to do something like that. He cared about her, she was sure of it. Why was she overreacting? She had a been shocked to learn the extent of his family wealth, but did that make his any different than the solid, dependable man she had spent the last week getting to know? 

"Lanie!" she looked up to see Erik striding towards her and groaned inwardly.

"Erik," she tried to smile, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make a scene."

She hadn't thought she had, but then his eyes always seemed to be on her. He came up next to her and handed her a handkerchief.

"No need to apologize," he assured her, patting her on the shoulder. "I don't think very many people noticed. I just happened to catch that Widsen woman with your police officer, and knew you were right behind me so you must have seen as well."

"He's not my police officer," she said.

"You know, I hadn't realized he was part of  _that_ Martinsson family," Erik mused. "No reason on earth I would have, of course. I haven't had a lot of dealings with them. They look down on me, you know."

"Down on you?" she asked, confused.

"I'm new money," he shrugged. "They've been in the aristocracy for generations. Incredibly high in the instep. I had heard the rumors about their son, but didn't put the two together."

"What rumors?" Lanie couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Oh, that he was wild," Haas looked away from her. "He had a certain reputation for being... ungentlemanly shall we say... in the bedroom. Got to the point where none of the women in that set would talk to him. Then he ran away and joined the police department. Parents were enraged, threatened to cut him off. I don't know if it ever came to that though. Still... well, never mind. I don't want to stick my nose in where it's not wanted."

"Erik, what were you going to say?" Lanie was sick with anticipation. She knew she shouldn't be having this conversation with Haas, knew that he was manipulating her, but she just couldn't help herself. The image of the woman in red wrapped around Magnus was too fresh in her brain.

"I wasn't going to say anything but, well... after this I feel I have to," Haas said with a deep sigh. "The security guards that I hired for the off hours... I was debriefing them the other day and, well..."

"Oh god," Lanie turned bright red. "They told you about catching the two of us, didn't they? Erik, I swear, nothing like that will ever happen again!"

"No, no," Erik assured her, "I mean, yes, they did tell me, and I wasn't thrilled about  _that_ happening in my office, but it's not what I was going to say. It seems one of them became rather chummy with Martinsson, and they met for coffee the next day before he picked you up from work. I don't know how to say this, but... well he told me about some pictures Martinsson was showing them. Pictures of you. In various states of undress."

"He's lying!" Lanie gasped. It was impossible. Erik was lying. Magnus would never betray her like that, would he?

"There was also a video," Erik told her gently. "From what the man said you were... performing for him on it. Martinsson was bragging to the guard about how he could get you to do anything. I guess they had quite a laugh."

Lanie's world spun. She lurched forward and sat on a nearby bench. It couldn't be true, she refused to believe it. She was going to be sick, or start crying and never stop, she didn't know which. All she knew was she couldn't be here right now.

"Erik," she managed to get out, "I'm so sorry. I know I'm supposed to working, but I'm really not feeling that well. Would you mind..."

"Go to bed, Lanie," he said gently, wiping a tear from under her eye. "It will all look better in the morning."

Lanie nodded and walked to the house. Her world would start spinning again. It had to. She would get through this party, and then she would never have to see him again.

***

Magnus pushed Sonja off of him and began to go after Lanie when Holly caught up to him.

"What was that?" she asked, glaring at him as she spun him around by his arm.

"Not what it looked like," he said shortly, trying to pull away from her.

"Listen, I don't know what's going on with the man-eater back there, but if you've just been stringing Lanie along you and I are going to have a conversation. And I don't care if you are carrying a gun, though I don't know where you could be hiding it in a tux that tight."

"I am not stringing Lanie along!" he barely kept himself from bellowing at her, as he once again began heading in the direction Lanie had taken, Holly trailing after him. "That man-eater, as you so aptly called her, is nothing but a past mistake rearing its ugly head to try and interfere in the present."

"You dated her?" Holly asked, stunned. "Wait, I'm confused. How do you know Vampira back there? And why are you wearing Louboutin's? I thought you were a detective."

"I am," he sighed. "My family has money. The shoes, the tux, Sonja - they're all part of my old life. One I don't particularly want anything to do with any more. I tried to tell Lanie that, but she ran off on some work errand and the next thing I knew, Sonja and her father had cornered me. Stay away from him, by the way. He might look like a harmless old man, but I wouldn't leave my sister in a room alone with him."

"Okay, now I need a shower," she shuddered. "I don't believe this. So you're a studly officer  _and_ you come from money? Seriously, did Lanie sell her soul at some point and fail to tell me about it?"

"While I appreciate the vote of confidence," Magnus laughed shortly, pausing as they came to a fork in the path, "I don't suppose you have any idea where she might have gone, do you? We seem to have lost the trail."

"To find a place to scream and cry, I would guess," Holly shrugged. "Lanie hates making a scene, but she's been super tense this week, understandably. She'll need a mini-breakdown, but she'll want to do it in private. My bet would be back towards the house. She can scream into a pillow then come back to the party."

"Thanks," Magnus said, giving her shoulder a quick squeeze and turning towards the house.

"Magnus," Holly stopped him briefly, "you mean it, right? There's nothing going on with you and that woman?"

"Less than nothing," he assured her. "I know it's way too soon, but I'm pretty sure I'm in love with Lanie. I would never do that to her."

"Aw," Holly grinned a big, dopey grin. "Well, go find her then! And when you've kissed and made up, pick out a brother or cousin or something for me. No reason she should have all the luck!"

"Thanks Holly," he smiled, and sped towards the house.

Lanie couldn't really believe he would be so blatantly disrespectful, could she? He knew they were just beginning their relationship, but he was all in. He had never met anyone who felt so right. She was smart and funny and sexy as hell, and he when he found her he was going to tie her to the bed and tell her all of that over and over again until he go it through her stubborn head that she was the only woman he wanted to be with. 


	20. Perfection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie wonders if Magnus is too good to be true, while he wonders how to prove his feelings for her.

Lanie sat on the end of her bed in the main house, scrolling through the texts and photos she had sent Magnus. She had known him only a handful of days when she had trusted him with them. Was she insane? True, he was a cop, but that didn’t make him a saint. Could her trust have been so misplaced?

Thinking back, Lanie remembered the night in Haas’ office. Magnus had obviously not been bothered by the security guards’ knowing he had had her on her knees sucking his cock. He had acted like the prize stud flaunting her off to them. At the time she had taken it as normal alpha male ego played up to sell their cover, but was it really more of his true personality than she realized? Could he be the type of man to betray her in that way? To share photos, and god, that video, with other men? To laugh at how willing she was to expose herself to him?

No. No, she would not believe it. He might not be perfect, but he wasn't cruel. At least, he was only cruel in ways that she enjoyed, she modified the thought, thinking of the way her ass still ached from the last spanking he'd given her. She was being ridiculous to be so insecure. But then how had Haas known about the texts?

"Lanie?" there was a bang on her door, and she heard Magnus' voice from outside. "Lanie open up, we need to talk."

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Lanie opened the door and there he stood, all six feet two inches of gorgeousness wrapped in an expensive tuxedo. Magnus' eyes were bright and concerned as he stared at her, his cheeks flushed from sprinting to the house. His hands went to his hair and made a mess of his golden curls as they raked through it. Looking at his so anxious and distressed, Lanie's heart melted. This was not a man who bragged about his sexual exploits to virtual strangers. This was a man who made her feel safe. It was only her insecurity, and looking at him, how could anyone not feel insecure, that caused her to doubt him.

"Lanie," he began, hovering in the doorway, "Please believe me there is nothing between that woman and me."

"I do believe you," she said, and realized she meant it.

"I was stupid enough to let myself get involved with her years ago, but it was over quickly and I've never regretted that, and... Wait. Did you say you believe me?"

"You are absolutely adorable when you are flummoxed," she giggled, grinning as he gaped at her from the doorway. "Of course I believe you. You've given me no reason to doubt you."

"Then why did you run away?" he asked, still looking adorably concerned.

"Because I doubted me," she explained.

"I'm confused."

"Magnus," Lanie rolled her eyes, "do you really not realize how ridiculously, stupidly handsome you are? On your worst days, dressed in a grubby t-shirt and baggy sweats, you are the most stunning man I've ever seen. Turned out like this, in evening clothes that are just a hair too tight, I might add, you are like Michelangelo's David come to life. Add to that the fact that you're smart, charming, funny, compassionate... it's all just a little unfair. And then I find out that on top of all of that you have money. You _come from_ money. And the equally stunning woman in the slinky red dress, who is also, I'm guessing, obscenely rich is slithering all over you. Put all of that together and of course I'm going to get a little skittish. It's a little much for us mere mortals to take."

"Lanie," he stared at her, mouth working, trying to find words to say after her little speech. "Oh fuck, here!"

Grabbing her around the waist he pulled her to him, kicking the door shut behind him as he crushed his lips to hers.

***

Magnus had been convinced he was going to have his work cut out for him. He knew she had seen Sonja kiss him, and after her father's words he could only guess what conclusions she had drawn. All he could think was that he had to find her before she had time to talk herself into leaving him. He could not loose her. Not now when he had just realized the depth of his feelings for her. What he had said to Holly was the truth. He was falling in love with her. She was smart and passionate and fearless. She was all he had been looking for, and he was not going to give her up.

When she opened the door he could tell she had been crying, and the fact that he had been the cause of that almost wrenched his heart from his chest. He meant to protect her from hurt, not cause it. He would never forgive himself for the distress he had caused her, however unintentionally. He began to babble out his apology to her, when she interrupted him and he began to understand that, amazingly, she wasn't actually mad at him at all. Listening to her describe his appeal, he began to wonder if he was dreaming. How could this woman, this wonderful, beautiful woman, be suggesting he was above her? If anything, she was too good for him.

Unable to put his thoughts into words, he walked into the room and crushed her to him. Blindly his lips found hers, searing a kiss onto her, trying to show with his body all the pent up emotion bubbling inside of him.

"Mags!" she squeaked when he briefly let her up for air.

"Hush!" he commanded, picking her up and throwing her backwards onto the bed. 

Lanie laughed breathlessly as she landed, arms flying back to steady herself. The blue dress he had known would look divine on her slid upward, and sank to his knees to push it further up her dangling legs. He yanked her a bit so that she was sitting right at the edge and ran his hands up to her thighs, spreading them open as he went. With a hitch in his breathing he saw that she had followed his orders and refrained from wearing panties under the dress. Leaning in he breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of her.

"You are the most beautiful creature on this planet," he told her, kissing her inner thigh, "and I intend to show you just how desirable you are."

With that, Magnus buried his face in her, licking and sucking with great enthusiasm. His deft fingers pulled her lips gently apart while his tongue delved in to taste her. Lanie laid back on the bed, moaning. He felt her hands in his hair, holding him flush to her as he lapped up her taste. Sliding two long fingers into her, Magnus brought his mouth to her clit and sucked on it as he pumped her. Her moans and gasps urged him on and he added a third finger, nipping at her little nub as her hips arched. When at last she came for him, crying his name, he greedily licked it up, savoring her flavor.

Humming in satisfaction, Magnus climbed up her body, pushing her back on the bed when he climbed onto it. Quickly opening his pants and pushing them down, Magnus lined himself up with her dripping entrance and thrust into her, groaning out his pleasure at how good she felt around him.

"You have the most perfect cunt," he told her, beginning to pound in to it. "The way it feels wrapped around me is absolute heaven. And this ass," he slapped her hard, making her moan, "this ass is gorgeous. Your legs are supple and shapely, and don't even get me started on your breasts! Those have kept me up at night, just fantasizing about sucking them. You have beautiful, soulful eyes, full, infinitely kissable lips, hair I want to grab and use to hold you to me. But more than any of these, you have the most beautiful soul and incredible mind."

As he went through the list of each of her exquisite features, Magnus kissed them one by one. He didn't know if he would ever convince her to see herself the way he saw her, but damned if he wasn't going to try.

"I will spend as much time as you will allow me proving to you just how desirable you are," he told her, nibbling on her neck. "God, you've seen how hard you make me, can you ever doubt how much I want you? I can barely think of anything other than all the ways I plan to fuck you. If I was any more attracted to you, we would never leave the bed, I'd leave you tied there forever."

Lanie whimpered, obviously liking the suggestion and Magnus gave a dark chuckle.

"Maybe we'll have to try that soon," he mused. "But for now..."

He raised her legs over his shoulders and increased the pace of his thrusts. Lanie cried out wantonly, eyes closed and back arched as she took him deep within  her. Magnus felt his own climax coming and reached down to rub her clit.

"Cum again for me, pet," he urged her. 

It was all she needed. Lanie's muscles clenched and he felt the grip on his cock tighten. It sent him over the edge in turn and they came together, her cunt milking every drop from him.

When they had come down from the high, Magnus rolled over, taking her with him onto their sides. He brushed a stray hair out her eyes and she smiled at him.

"That was very nice, Mags," she murmured. "But I have to say I'm disappointed."

"Disappointed?" he asked in shock. He could think of many words to describe how he felt right now, but that certainly wasn't one of them!

"Mmm hmm," she smiled, eyes dancing. "I was really looking forward to you taking me against the tree by the dance floor."

Magnus stared at her for a moment and burst into breathless laughter.

"It's still early," he smiled. "Give me time.


	21. Once More into the Breach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Lanie have kissed, (and then some) and made up. Time to get back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I’ve let this go for a while. I got distracted by an ongoing Loki fic. However, watching a Wallander episode while sick in bed today made me want to come back and work on this some more while still keeping the other going!
> 
> Thanks to anyone reading!!!

Lanie couldn't stop giggling as Magnus tried to make sense of his hair. Between yanking at it in distress with his giant hands and their very vigorous escapades of the last while, the curls were standing in all directions. It was adorable, but proclaimed to anyone with eyes what he had been up to.

"You're sure you want to go back out there?" he groaned, giving up and turning to look at her lounging on the bed.

"Not at all," she signed, rising to help him arrange it a bit more decorously. "But it is my job. And yours. We won't discover much if we stay in here."

"Oh, I don't know," he said, pulling her into and embrace and tipping her backwards. "I discover more and more every time I'm alone with you. For instance, I just discovered tonight that if I kiss you right here...” he nibbled on a spot right below her ear, “your leg does that.”

Lanie shook her head at the smug smile on his face as her leg came up of its own accord to wrap around him.

”Yes, but that is not getting us any closer to finding the killer,” she pointed out, trying to stay focused as he started trailing kisses down her neck.

”All part of my evil plan,” he explained. “If we don’t catch the killer, then you have to stay in protective custody, which means you have to stay at mine with me, which means I get you in my bed every night.”

”Yes, but in that case we have to keep things secret - or real secret, fake real. God you make it hard to think!” she pointed out, moaning as his lips found her nipple once more. “But if we catch the killer, not only do we, you know, stop a murderer, but we can actually be together for real out in the open, and you still get me in your bed every night, or maybe occasionally I get you in mine, just for variety’s sake. You don’t loose your job, and I don’t have to hide from your colleagues how much I want to jump you every time I look at you. I can just do it.”

”You make a good point,” he conceded, reluctantly tearing his lips off her body. “As long as you promise to still want me when the threat to your life is over.”

”I promise to still want you,” she said with all the sincerity she could muster. It was, in truth, the easiest promise she had ever made. 

“Well, then I suppose letting a murderer get away is not the best idea,” he sighed, and she whimpered a little as he pulled himself away from her. “None of that! This is your idea!”

”Yes detective,” she said meekly, and was secretly thrilled to see his cock twitch in his too tight pants.

”Do you have any idea what it does to me when you call me that?” he groaned.

”Some,” she admitted, “considering those pants don’t have any secrets. A bit of a show off, aren’t we?”

”You’re hardly one to talk,” he laughed, eyes raking over her revealing dress.

”Yes, but I am not the one who picked out this dress,” she pointed out reasonably. “All that proves is that you like showing off your date as much as showing off your own... assets.”

”And why not?” He asked. “I saw you checking me out that first night in the pub. And I for one am not going to meddle with anything that gets me results like that.”

”It almost got you Holly rugby tackling you,” she laughed. “If she didn’t feel so bad for me that night she wouldn’t have let me, or anyone else, within a mile of you!”

”Oh, speaking of Holly, best keep an eye on her. Sonja’s father has marked her out as his special friend for this party, and I don’t trust him to take no for an answer.”

”In that case, we really should get out there,” she sighed. 

With a last glance in the mirror, which only served to confirm how obviously compromised they both looked, Lanie took Magnus by the hand and led him out the door.

***

Magnus had to be the luckiest man alive. She had believed him. She still wanted him. And she wanted to be his even after this ordeal was over. He just couldn’t keep the stupid, fatuous grin off his face.

In the grand scheme of things they hadn’t missed that much of the party. Cocktail hour, the passed appetizers, and the welcoming speech. All things considered, he wasn’t that sad to have been absent for Haas’ oration. 

They were able to slide into their seats just as the first course was being served. As mere worker bees, Magnus and Lanie were spared having to sit at the premiere table. Instead they were seated towards the edge of the dining section, he supposed so that Lanie could slip out and consult with the staff as needed. Holly was with them, and as her knowing eyes took in his tousled hair and her less than perfect makeup, not to mention the way his hand never left Lanie’s body, she grinned openly.

”So, everything all settled?” she asked, clearly enjoying Lanie’s discomfort. “You two have a nice make up shag?”

”Holly!” Lanie said repressively.

”Absolutely,” Magnus replied at the same time, grinning.

”Good,” Holly sighed. “Because there are no prospects at this thing worthy of my attention, so once again I find myself having to live vicariously through you.”

”I know a member of the catering staff,” Magnus found himself suddenly volunteering. “He’s single, age appropriate, and a nice guy. Nice enough looking too, from the way I’ve seen women eye him. I could introduce you.”

”It would have to be a member of the staff,” she sighed dramatically. “I don’t suppose he’s secretly heir to a fortune as well?”

”Not to my knowledge,” he admitted, laughing.

”Well, beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose. Point him out to me later.”

Magnus knew he should be doing nothing of the sort. He should be leaving his fellow officer undistracted. At least one of them should be, after all. But he genuinely liked Lanie’s friend, and having a strong bloke in her orbit would help keep unwanted suitors at bay.

When the salads were cleared, he excused himself and did a quiet circle around the perimeter of the lawn under the guise of stretching his legs. Other than a bartender hiding out to enjoy a cigarette, there was nothing unusual to be found. He had not been expecting there to be, really. Not tonight, not yet. If something were going to happen this week it would most likely be in the following days, when the never ending flow of alcohol had loosened people’s tongues and dulled their wits. He would have to walk a fine line himself. He couldn’t make it obvious that he was on duty, but couldn’t allow himself to overindulged either. The fact that his date was on duty should help a bit, he supposed.

 As he finished his circuit and walked back towards his seat, he passed by the head table. Haas looked balefully at him, and Magnus couldn’t resist the impulse to smile and wave, sauntering over to him.

”Detective. You’re still here,” Haas’ voice was not pleased.

”Where else would I be?” he asked. 

“I was given to understand that you and Lanie were a bit at odds at the moment.”

”Happy to say you were misinformed,” Magnus smirked. “Oh, we had a bit of a moment, but that just gave us reason to make up. And I do so love making up to that woman.”

”Charming,” Haas was looking at Magnus as one would a dead rodent. 

“Yes it was. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it looks like food has arrived. You do put on a fantastic spread, Haas. I don’t understand why my family never would accept one of your invitations. Anyway, enjoy.”

He knew it wasn’t the smartest thing to poke the bear, particularly when said bear might very well be a cold blooded killer, but Magnus couldn’t seem to control himself. The man was treacherous, and whether or not he was guilty of the crime they were investigating, he was a threat to Lanie. Magnus could not allow that to go unchallenged. He would protect the woman he loved with his last breath.

The woman he loved. It had a nice ring to it, he decided.<


	22. Hangover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Labor suffers for her evening of fun.

Lanie woke feeling as though her mouth was covered with fuzz and a mallet was beating back and forth inside of her skull. What had she been thinking? She knew better than to drink that much. Obviously she had not been thinking. She had been celebrating the fact that she and Magnus had made it through their first fight. She vaguely remembered telling Molly, through copious amounts of giggling, that she hoped they fought more often so that there would be a repeat of the makeup sex. They had toasted that with a shot of tequila, followed by another toast and shot when Holly breathlessly told her of Magnus confessing that he was falling in love with her. Magnus had returned from a trip to the men's room to find them excited and guilty looking, well on their way to inebriation.

Gingerly opening her eyes, Lanie groaned as the room spun. On the small table next to the narrow bed in Magnus' servant's quarters was a glass of water and two pain killers sitting on a piece of paper with heart drawn on it. Lanie closed her eyes again and reached over to the other side of the bed, finding it empty. Where was he? Had she over slept that much? Flailing around with her eyes closed she managed to find her cell phone. It was only 7:30 in the morning. The party had gone on at least until 2:00. Hazily she seemed to remember dancing, shoes kicked to one side of the dance floor, Magnus holding her pressed to his body while he moved with as much skill as he seemed to do everything else. Fucker. Of course he could dance, what couldn't he do?

With a sigh she dragged herself into a sitting position and downed the ibuprofen and water. She was just trying to decide whether to risk getting up and staggering to the bathroom when the door opened and Magnus entered, looking like an adorable, overly energized puppy. He was dressed in shorts and a (skin tight, of course) t-shirt, and was bopping along to whatever was playing on his headphones. Seeing her sitting up and staring at him, his face broke into a wide grin under his floppy, ridiculous curls.

"Good morning, lovely," he said, too loudly by far for her delicate senses.

"Have you been running?" she asked, looking at him in horror.

"Only five miles, just a short one today," he told her, turning off his music. "And how are you feeling this morning?"

"How can you possibly have that much energy right now?" she asked, glaring at him. "Are you still drunk?"

" _Still_ would imply that I was drunk to begin with," he laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I was not the one who drank half a bottle of tequila." 

"Why did you let me?" she muttered, putting her pillow over her head to block out the light shining in the window.

"You insisted. You and Holly were adamant that you needed to toast _things_."

"What things?" she asked from her hiding place, a terrifying memory beginning to take shape in her brain.

"It would be immodest of me to repeat it," he grinned, eyes twinkling. "Let's just say that I will let my tailor know how much you appreciate his skill."

"Oh god," she turned bright red as the full memory of the toasts to his various assets began to solidify in her mind. "That's it, we have to break up, and I am moving to Australia. Or maybe Siberia. Someplace where I never have to see anyone ever again."

"But I'd get too cold in Siberia," he complained.

"Oh no, you're not coming. Didn’t you hear me? We’re breaking up. I can never look at you again."

Magnus laughed and pulled the pillow from her face. Lanie kept her eyes tightly squeezed shut and contemplated the odds of the floor swallowing her. 

"But I have it on very good authority that you love looking at me," he teased her, leaning forward to kiss her nose and closed eyelids. 

"Don't kiss me, I have fuzz in my mouth," she warned him, staggering to her feet and beating a hasty retreat towards the door. "I'll be right back."

"Lanie, not that I don't think you look delicious, but clothes might be a good idea," he reminded her, and to her horror she realized that she had almost stepped out into the hall completely naked.

Magnus laughed as she took his tuxedo shirt and quickly pulled it on.

"Damn, that's sexy," he groaned appreciatively, and she blushed again. "I love how easily you blush. Okay, go on so you can get back here and I can take that off of you."

He gave her a quick swat to her backside as Lanie grabbed a towel to wrap around her waist and skittered out of the room. A tooth brush and a quick shower helped to wash away some of the hangover, and her mood had brightened. She was surprised that Magnus hadn’t joined her in the latter. In just a few days she had gotten used to him seizing on any opportunity where she was naked. She had left the door unlocked just in case he wanted to slip in.

His restraint was making her nervous. She knew that along with being flattered he had been a bit embarrassed last night as she and Holly became more and more silly. Had they really drank a toast to the perfection of his ass? Not that it wasn't perfect, or that his pants hadn't been showing it off beautifully, but really. You would think they were back in college. She had a sinking feeling he would be plotting revenge. As she walked back into the bedroom her fears were proven well founded.

”Clothes off, slowly,” he instructed her from where he lounged on the bed, eyeing the way the white shirt clung, see through, to her wet body.

Blush staining her cheeks adorably, Lanie undid the small buttons and pushed apart the sides of the shirt. Leaving it hanging open, she slowly unwrapped the towel from around her waist and let it drop. She could see his breathing hitch as she stood there in just his open shirt, so she took her time sliding it off her shoulders.

“You are a perfect tease,” he told her. “Lie down on the bed.”

Following his instructions, Lanie lay down on the bed, glancing over at the assortment of things he had laid out for her.

”Now,” he began, running his huge hand down the center of her body, “someone was doing quite a bit of teasing last night. I don’t know if you remember, but I told you there would be consequences this morning.”

Lanie groaned half with dread and half with longing. Magnus reached down and selected the thin silver chain he had attached to her nipples once before. With a smug smile he leaned down and sucked one of breasts into his mouth, working her nipple with his teeth. When it was a hard nub he released it and tightened one end of the chain around its peak, repeating the procedure a moment later with the other.

”This should keep your nipples nice and erect today,” he smiled. “Now sit up.”

As she obeyed, he held out a lacy blue bra. Lanie snatched it from him and put it on, then gasped as she realized what it was. The cups were designed to lift her large breasts, pushing them up to present them to the world, but the fabric stopped below her areolas. With the clamps keeping her nipples hard, she would be visibly aroused to anyone who looked at her.

”I can’t wear this!” she protested. “Everyone will be staring at my breasts!”

”I hate to break it to you, love,” he told her with a grin, “but everyone already stares at your breasts. They are too magnificent not to. So why not lean into it. Now, where was I... ah yes, roll over.”

With a sense of dread Lanie turned over on to her stomach. She shrieked as a cool drizzle of oil fell onto her.

”Gorgeous,” Magnus sighed, using two fingers to gently open her ass and work it into her. “Fuck, I can’t wait to take you here. You are so tight. We’re going to try the next size up today, to get you ready. I want to make sure you enjoy it when I breach your ass.”

Lanie felt a hard presence at her entrance, and Magnus slowly worked the plug back and forth, gently pushing it all the way into her ass. It was definitely bigger than the one he had used before, and she felt positively stuffed when he finished.

That feeling only intensified when he raised her hips and folded his long body over her, tip of his cock pressing against her pussy.

“I was going to be good this morning, since I know you must be hurting with a hangover, but damn Lanie, I am so hard for you. Tell me if you want me to stop.”

”Don’t stop,” she gasped.

With a long moan he sank into her.

***

She was so tight, so wet, so _perfect_. He really had meant to spare her this morning, knowing how much she had imbibed the night before.

Magnus had returned from a trip to the men's room to find the two ladies giggling, having just downed tequila shots. Dinner was over and dancing had begun, so he had grabbed Lanie by the hand and pulled her out onto the floor. He couldn't help it, he loved to dance. The added bonus of getting to hold her against his body and move with her made it irresistible. While she was not a natural dancer and seemed shy at first, she was tipsy enough to let herself go once he had twirled her around a few times. He had to remind himself to keep things suitable for public viewing since they were not in a dark club.

"What is that you were doing?" Holly asked, arriving on the floor with more shots in hand.

"This? It's the snake hips," he told her, making up a name for the gyrating move he was in the process of.

"I like it!" Holly approved.

"Mmm... me too," Lanie agreed, ogling him. "To the snake hips!"

It had quickly devolved from there, as the two women proceeded to objectify him to the accompaniment of tequila. It was all in good fun, and quite lovely for his ego. He had finally threatened Lanie with a punishment - to be delivered when she was sober enough to appreciate it the next morning. He had added the last part when she had been all to eager for him to discipline her on the spot.

Holly may have gotten a little more handsy than either he or Lanie would have preferred under normal circumstances when he partnered her, but in her drunken state it was easy to laugh it off. All in all, the night was hugely enjoyable.

He had practically carried Lanie up to the attic room. He had no intention of taking advantage of her in her inebriation, even though all the grinding they had been doing at the end had left him rock hard, but she made it difficult to resist, pulling off her dress almost before the door was closed.

"Want!" she had said, falling back onto the bed and gesturing for him to join her.

"Sleep," he instructed. “No talking back to me, or you will regret it tomorrow.”

”Not tired,” she had said with a pout, and then immediately rolled over and fell asleep.

Magnus had chuckled at her, but his chivalry had left him achingly hard with few options of release. It had continued when he woke early to find her naked body pressed back against him, bare ass enticingly molded against his cock. It took all his willpower not to spread her open and thrust into her on the spot, sheathing himself in her warmth.

Instead he had gotten up, dressed quickly, and gone out to attempt to outrun his lust.

All that self-deprivation taken into account, he thought he deserved to give in to temptation now and have his way with her. 

“This is your punishment,” he told her as he began thrusting into her. “You were naughty last night, so you will be disciplined today as I promised.”

”This is punishment?” She gasped as he continued to fill her.

”Yes,” he panted. “You see, you are not going to cum. I am. I’m going to cum hard any moment and fill your lovely cunt with my sperm. It’s been building all night, so believe me there will be quite a lot. You are going to feel it, sloshing inside you, leaking out with every move you make, running down your thighs as you walk. You are going to feel the plug in your tight little ass, feel how full and stretched that makes you, and know that by the end of the night it will be my cock pushed into you there. Far bigger and more insistent then this little toy you’ve got there now.”

Reaching down between them, he toyed with the plug, moving it slightly in and out, giving her an idea of how it would feel when he fucked her there later. She gasped and he chuckled darkly.

”You are going to leave this room wearing only the bra now pushing up your magnificent tits, and the little sun dress I picked out for you. The material is just right to brush against those hard nipples, stimulating them even more. It will be blatantly obvious to anyone who looks at you that you are nothing more than a sexed up little kitten just waiting for her owner to pet her in all the right places. And that’s even before they look down and see my cum staining your legs.  No matter what you do today or how hard you try to avoid it, all you will be able to think about is the intense fucking I am going to give you. I want you to imaging it all day long. To fantasize about my cock drilling into your ass. I want you so wet that you smell like sex and everyone knows what a dirty thing you are. And the moment I decide to end your suffering, the moment I pull out the toy and replace it with my cock, you will scream for me as you cum. Until then, stay still and take me. And don’t you dare cum.”

Lanie moaned, a low, longing sound, and he increased his speed. With ragged breaths, he neared his climax, grunting as slammed into her welcoming pussy. True to his word he finally came with tremendous force, sending a deluge of sticky white deep into her cunt.

”God, I could fuck you forever,” he sighed as whimpered beneath him.

”Yes, please,” she answered in a tiny voice, making him laugh.

He looked at her lying there, unsatisfied and flushed with desire. He would never be thankful for a murder, but he was thankful beyond words that he had been the one assigned this case. Now he just had to solve it. With a sigh he stood and grabbed a towel, ready for a shower. Play time was over; time to get to work.

 

 


	23. A Walk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie leads a tour around the estate while Magnus tries to charm out information.

The sun was painfully bright and her sunglasses woefully ineffective at blocking out the worst of the glare from her red, swollen eyes. The coffee had helped a bit, as had the the breakfast Magnus had practically forced down her throat to ward off the nausea from her hangover, but she was still jealous of Holly, no doubt blissfully sleeping off the effects of last night’s excess. 

Lanie sighed and looked at the guests assembled before her. There were sixteen of them, mostly elderly, all but one female. The younger set would most likely not rise for hours yet considering how raucous things had become last night. They would be resting peacefully. All except her, tasked with leading a walking tour around the estate grounds. And Magnus, of course. Her obnoxiously bright eyed boy was currently talking animatedly with a group of silver haired matrons, making a conquest of each and every one with his sunny smiles and easygoing charm. Bastard.

Adjusting her glasses, Lanie looked down at her watch. It was ten after the hour they had been told to assemble. Safe enough to begin the walk. If anyone else was foolish enough to prefer walking in the glare of the sun to snuggling in a comfortable bed, they could damn well show themselves around.

Hearing Magnus’ hearty laugh behind her, she glared at him over her shoulder. It was all his fault she was feeling so uncomfortable. The hangover she could bear, she had done it before and doubtless would again, but the rest of her discomfort was proving much harder to ignore.

She was painfully aware, for one thing, that the sundress he had put her in was all but transparent if the light hit her the right way. Coupled with the lack of panties and the fabricless bra, she would be practically naked if she didn’t pay careful attention to where she stood. As it was, she had spent all of breakfast seated across from an executive who stared, all but drooling, at her breasts. She could hardly blame him, not when her nipples were so clearly defined and pronounced. The infernal chain kept them tweaked to hard little nubs, and every time the slightly coarse fabric of her dress slid over them it stimulated the the over sensitive nerves.

All of that, embarrassing as it was, was still nothing compared to what was going on lower down. Magnus has not been exagerating when he described the amount of cum he was about to fill her with. Her insides practically sloshed, and with every step she took she could feel a wet path lengthening down the inside of her legs. Combined with the seemingly huge toy in her ass that she would never get used to, it was enough to make any movement treacherous. So of course this was the day she was leading a rambling walk with a gaggle of old ladies. He knew exactly how to torment her.

He laughed again, and this time when her eyes darted to him over the rim of her shades he winked at her and gave a lopsided grin that had no place outside of the bedroom. Holly had been right when she said that everything was sexy when you looked like him. The ladies flocked around him giggled and batted their lashes, giving her glances that ranged from indulgent to envious.

”Go on, lovely, we’re listening,” he told her with another shameless grin while his admirers tittered around him.

Lanie rolled her eyes and soldiered on, her senses on overload. She was almost glad he was distracting all of her tour members. God knew she was unable to concentrate with the pinching of her nipples, a sticky trail down her thighs, a foreign object pushed inside of her, and the smell of sex that still clung to her. Not to mention the fact that her own body was desperately, achingly aroused. Oh yes, it was not just his fluids making a mess of her. Their encounter that morning had left her overstimulated and unsatisfied, yearning for him to touch her and send her over the edge into bliss. Every nerve in her body strained towards the melted chocolate voice behind her. She could feel his eyes on her back, her ass, her legs, and it took all of her willpower not to turn and stare dreamily at him.

After fifteen minutes or so they arrived at a small cottage dairy. Lanie gave them a brief history, and then invited them all to go inside where a tasting of cream and cheese was waiting for them. Magnus, of course, held the door open while the ladies entered. Each and every one of them took the opportunity to touch him as they walked by, pinching his cheek, caressing his arm, and in one particularly amusing case reaching around to tweak his very pinchable ass. Lanie decided that  lady was her new hero, and grinned at the startled expression on his face as the old broad winked at him.

When the last woman had gone in, Lanie went to follow, only to find the door shut firmly before she reached it. Grabbing her wrist, Magnus practically dragged her around the side of the cottage and into the blessed shade of a covered patio.

***

He didn't normally think of himself as a cruel man, but Magnus was getting a great deal of enjoyment out of Lanie's suffering as she walked, tottered really, ahead of the group touring the estate. Everything she did, from the way she stepped with overly exaggerated caution, to the way she stood with her arms crossed over her magnificent chest, all designed to camouflage her aroused state, only served to draw more attention to it. The scent of mingled arousal that rose from her skin only added to the general aura of sex she was giving off. He had thought the man sitting across the table from them at breakfast was going to go blind staring at her. He had taken great pleasure in draping his arm possessively around her and feeding her from his plate when she only picked at her meal. His woman was a siren and he knew it even if she didn't.

The tour group comprised entirely of senior ladies was a particular amusement for him. He was good with older ladies. Most ladies, really, but the ones in his parents’ age group seemed to be particularly susceptible to his brand of charm. A few easy compliments and a naughty grin or two, and he had them all completely disarmed. It amused his sadistic side to see Lanie chafe at his success with the group.

He was not being completely frivolous, however. As Lanie droned on about the history of the land they were wandering over, Magnus asked questions of the society matrons about their host and the other guests at the event. He knew from experience that if you wanted to know what was going on, the "Ladies who Lunched" always were possessed of the most up to date gossip. As his parents had often told him, Haas was not thought to have the most desirable reputation. Nothing specific was known about him, but his status as "new money", combined with his penchant for secrecy, had most of them keeping their distance. Not that it had stopped them from attending, naturally. Only real high sticklers like his family would let little things like that matter more than the huge bank account he was known to have.

As far as the guests went, there were plenty of unsavory characters - drunks, letches, cheats, but he didn't hear anything about identity theft or espionage. There was excitement about the murder, as one would expect, but no one seemed to have any idea who might be to blame.

"Is it true Miss Greyson discovered the corpse?" asked Millicent, the de facto leader of the clutch.

"Yes, it is," he said, mouth turning down as he pictured his sweet girl stumbling upon the gruesome scene.

"No need to look so grim, she's perfectly fine now," clucked Nina, a generally disapproving frump who seemed to scowl at everything.

"I don't know if I'd say that," objected Heidi, a plump little woman with hair a startlingly unnatural brassy blond and bright red lipstick. "She seems to be limping a bit. Or is that your doing young man? You look like you could make a girl walk funny for days!"

There was shocked laughter at the bawdy comment and Magnus himself let out a bark of mirth. Lanie turned around and glared at him, and he gave her his most endearing, lopsided grin, putting all of his pent up desire into his eyes as he returned her stare.

"Lucky girl," Heidi sighed as Lanie rolled her eyes and turned back around. "I remember when Niles used to give me that look. Nothing proper ever came of it. I hope you intend follow that example."

"Absolutely," he promised.

"Naughty boy," she smiled fondly, and allowed him to help her over a muddy patch.

"I hear you know Sonja," Nina simpered. "She's such a lovely girl. She told us you went to school together."

"Indeed," Magnus tried to make his voice repressive, but she didn't seem to get the hint.

"She and her papa are particularly good friends of mine. We had quite a long talk last night at the dinner."

"You are much more conversant with her current affairs than I am then," he shrugged. "I only spoke to her for a moment yesterday, and before that it had been half a decade at least since I so much as set eyes on her. I could hardly claim to know her these days."

"Ah, but at one time you knew her very well, from what she was saying last night," the woman would not let it go.

A few of the other ladies tittered and one or two looked embarrassed. Ah. He could guess what rumors Sonja was once again spreading about him. Fantastic.

 "I have to say, if my daughter was here, I would be keeping her far away from you."

"If your daughter was here, Nina, her disposition would be keeping her a long way from everyone," Heidi said in an exasperated voice. "And considering the boy is obviously smitten with Miss Greyson, my guess is that Sonja is just sour grapes. Don't worry, young man. No one with any sense pays her any mind. And so what if what she was saying is true? I liked it a little rough some times myself back in the day!"

"Heidi!" one of the others gasped as Magnus turned bright red.

"Ladies!” Millicent intoned, sternly looking around at the other matrons. "This conversation is untoward! Nina, I am surprised at you, paying heed to malicious gossip. Everyone knows Sonja is a little tart with a big mouth. And that father of hers is no better. Now, young man, kindly give me your arm and tell me how your enchanting mother is doing."

Magnus smiled endearingly and launched into a discourse on his mother's current imagined ailments. He should have known Millicent would be one of her acquaintances; they were like two peas in a pod. He happily chatted for some minutes until they came to the dairy cottage that was to be their first stop. Years of habit kicking in, he stepped forward and opened the door for the ladies. Millicent pinched his cheek as though he were still a school boy and led the way into the cottage, the others following in step. He was a bit taken aback when Heidi reached around to give his ass a firm pinch before winking at him, but in retrospect he suppose he should have expected it. Lanie looked highly amused by it. Her smile was the end of his limit.

As the last of the group went through the door, Magnus swung it shut behind her and grabbed Lanie's wrist. Tugging her after him he quickly rounded the corner of the cottage and pulled her underneath the awning to a relatively secluded nook.

"You are entirely too enticing for your own good," he told her, and drew her in to a long, lingering kiss against the side of the building.

As she melted into his arms, Magnus reached down and ran his hand up under her skirt, grabbing a handful of her perky ass and squeezing her as he pressed her to him. His fingers felt their way to the handle of the plug, and pulled it gently out before sliding it back in again, repeating the action a few more times until she moaned into his mouth.

"Just checking," he explained, rising from her lips. "I don't think you're quite ready yet. A few more hours should loosen you up."

He gave the toy one or two more tugs and then slid his hand farther forward to trace the swollen lips of her pussy. He breathed in through his teeth as he discovered how very wet and open she was. 

"Well, someone is ready for me, aren't you," he grinned cockily, dipping into her and stroking his fingers against her gspot, making her gasp and whimper. "You want to cum, don't you lovely?"

"Yes please," she panted, causing his resolve to almost slip.

He worked her for a few more minutes, avoiding her clit as he opened her wide to let more of the moisture seep out of her. When she was flat out panting he slowly pulled his fingers out of her and held them up in front of her face.

"Look at what a little hussy you are, pet," he smirked. "Here, have a taste."

Tapping her lips with his fingers to get her to open, he pressed them firmly into her mouth. Lanie's eyes were shocked at first, but then a slow smile spread to them. Taking his wrist in her hand, she held his fingers in her mouth and sucked long and hard on them, running her tongue along the length of each one. When she had finished this, she slowly pulled them most of the out, before taking them in again and sucking once more, then pulling them all the way out while letting her teeth skim over them. Magnus gasped and moaned as they fell from her mouth and she licked her lips like a cat. His cock had become painfully, insistently hard. He could feel it pressing against his tight jeans, begging for release. He could also hear the door open, signaling that they were about to be joined by fifteen overly friendly women.

"Woman, do you have any idea what you just did?" he asked, trying to adjust himself before they were discovered.

"I do," she grinned. "I figured it was only fair that you have some small taste of what I'm going through. Plus I'm sure Heidi will appreciate it."

"With my luck she'll think her pinch caused it," he groaned, making her laugh. "You are an evil, evil woman. And I am a damn lucky man. Come on, let's get the rest of this damn tour over with."

Taking her arm he led her back around to where the ladies were waiting, most of them with indulgent smiles on their faces.

"Oh, to be young and in love," Heidi sighed. "Nothing in this world is better."

Magnus agreed whole heartedly.


	24. Storm Brewing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie does some detective work and Magnus deals with some of the male guests.

Lanie sat in front of her easel on the bank of the lake. She was doing her best to concentrate on the scene before her - the weeping willow draping its long branches down to the still blue-green water, the gently sloping lawn dotted randomly with tiny blue and white flowers, the cloudy sky that added just a hint of dramatic menace to the tableau. On any normal day it would have been a dream to have snatched a private hour to ply her brushes and water colors. Today, however, her mind refused to concentrate on the beauty of nature. It was the beauty of a certain curly haired, high cheekboned, impossibly blue eyed man that her thoughts kept circling back to.

This was not her! She was not the type of girl to abandon all of her interests and hobbies for a relationship. She was independent, and valued her time alone to create. How often would she be in such an ideal setting, one just begging to be painted.

Of course the very thought of the word “begging” led her back to Magnus and his fondness for making her do just that. It also didn’t help that he had done everything he could to ensure her mind stayed on him and all he had in store for her. Her overly stimulated nipples were throbbing from the clamps pinching them, and with every move the fabric of her dress rubbed them just enough to remind her how prominently displayed they were. Her pussy was so gaping from the teasing he had subjected her to that even as large as he was Magnus would easily slide up into her. 

Impatiently Lanie slammed her brush down. She was getting nowhere. She may as well have gone with some of the other ladies to luncheon when Magnus had been born off by three other men to play billiards. He had been aproached by the group as they were returning from the morning walk and they had not taken no for an answer when they invited him to make their fourth. The “little women” had been dismissed from the offer, despite many expressing their desire to  ooh and aah at their prowess. Lanie was just as glad; while she had no doubt that Magnus was as good with a cue stick as he seemed to be with everything else, she was afraid what seeing him bent over the table in his characteristically tight jeans might do to her already heightened arousal. Besides, she had been dying to paint this location.

As she stared moodily at the lake, Lanie noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see what it was - most likely a bird, she thought, and just glimpsed a person moving furtively towards some of the out buildings on the left bank of the lake near the more overgrown woods. It could easily have been a member of the staff, or a bored guest out for a stroll, but there was something in the manner of the movement that caught her attention. Whoever it was was taking a great deal of effort not to be seen from the main house.

Rising slowly to avoid attracting notice, Lanie draped the tarp over her canvas and paints and casually began strolling in the direction the person had been heading. They were here for a reason after all, and it was not to paint the scenery, breathtaking as it might be; nor was it to fantasize about her companion who was just as gorgeous in his own way. They were supposed to be finding a killer, to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary, and the person scurrying in the shadows was definable that.

Briefly Lanie spared a thought for the wisdom of going off on her own, but there was no time to go and get Magnus. Besides, she was not going to do anything dangerous, merely follow whoever it was and most likely find a maid and a gardener in the midst of a torrid affair.

As she walked in the direction the scurrying form had taken, she heard a distinct rumbling from overhead. How perfect, she thought. Of course such skullduggery should have an ominous soundtrack. Laughing silently at her own fanciful imagination, she wound her way through the trees. After ten minutes, however, she realized that she had lost the trail of the person, and had also succeeded in getting a bit turned around herself in the continually darkening wood. Frustrated at her own lack of tracking skills, Lanie looked around for a hint of which way to go, seeing nothing that she recognized. How ironic, she thought, that just an hour ago she had been leading a tour of the estate and now she was all but lost in it. 

It was on that slightly sour thought that skies opened and a deluge of water began to pour from the heavens, taking no mercy. She was almost instantly soaked, and one look down at her pale colored sundress was enough to confirm that she may as well be naked. The light material clung to her body, completely see through in a matter of moments. Her jutting nipples with the tightly attached chain were perfectly clear and defined, as was the dark triangle at the cleft of her legs. She could only assume that the blue gem peaking out between her lower cheeks would also be obvious through her translucent dress. If she should run into anyone now, she would be completely humiliated. 

With a groan Lanie began picking her way back towards what she hoped was the direction she had come, pausing every few steps to swipe the water from her eyes. This was what she got for trying to play detective, or from attempting to steal a few minutes for herself during what was meant to be a business outing.

Pausing when she arrived in a completely unfamiliar small clearing, Lanie sighed. She was totally turned around. She was still trying to decide whether to stay here and wait for the storm to pass or venture onward, hoping to find a spot to shelter when a hand landed on her shoulder. She opened her mouth to scream and felt another quickly cover her lips before any sound could come out, as the first hand slipped around her body to pull her back. She was trapped.

***

Magnus lined up his cue stick with the ball on the green felt table and took careful aim. He had not played billiards in some time, but of course his father had a table and had taught him as soon as he was old enough to hold a stick. He was naturally competitive at the best of times, and the personalities of his opponents only increased his desire to best all of them.

Being pulled into the stupid, cigar smoke filled game was the last thing he had wanted, but just as the gossiping women could be sources of unlooked for information, so could the boasting peacocks at their games. With a longing look at Lanie and the clinging dress that he had dressed her in, he had allowed himself to be led into the mahogany paneled game room that all but screamed of old fashioned masculine pursuit. 

"So," one dark haired man a few years older than himself asked, taking a sip of what Magnus had to admit was remarkably good brandy, "what do you think of this year's talent?"

"I only got here this morning," another, unfortunately weak chinned and beady eyes man bemoaned. "I didn't have a chance to see them all tarted up last night. Anyone worth the time and energy to fuck, or is it all the usual slags again?"

"Mostly just the same bitches everyone's had a go at," the final member of the quartet sighed. "I think I've cum into just about every cunt here at least once. None really worth a second go, but needs must I guess."

"There was that one pretty thing last night," the first man mused, rubbing his chin. "Blue dress, magnificent tits. Nice and round, just begging to be fucked. You were dancing with her and her friend, weren't you Martinsson?"

"I was," Magnus replied tersely, hitting the cue ball with more force than necessary.

"I envy a man who can dance," the chinless one moaned. "Perfect excuse to rub up against them and see how their asses feel. Were they nice and firm? If so, be a pal and point them out to me later. I need to fuck a nice firm ass this week. God knows my fiancé won't let me tap hers."

"I don't think you will have much luck with either of the two ladies in question," Magnus snapped repressively, resisting the urge to beat him with his cue.

"Why not?" asked the first, leering at him expectantly. "Don't tell me you managed to bag them both? Now that's a three way I would kill for."

"Don't be greedy Rider," the last said, laughing. "They were the only two here, besides Sonja who's basically the neighborhood bicycle, worth taking off your pants for. I personally intend to have a go at the blond with the big rack. I heard she's just Haas' secretary, so it's not like anyone will mind. Figure I'll wait till she's drunk and get her alone in a hall somewhere. Show her how real men use their dicks -"

He didn't finish his sentence as with a growl Magnus turned and threw him against the far wall, holding his cue stick tight against the other man's windpipe. Wide eyes stared at them from the other two men while his victim gasped for air and looked at Magnus as if he were a lunatic.

"Relax, Martinsson," chinless huffed. "If she's just a secretary, who cares if Leland has a little fun with her? She'll probably thank him after."

"I care, very much," Magnus seethed. "The lady in question happens to be my girl. Mine. And even she weren't I would still care. No woman should be subjected to the inept fumblings of a would be rapist such as yourselves. So hear me and believe me. If any of you so much as looks at her, or her friend, with anything but respect, I will shoot you with the gun that is even now resting in my coat pocket. Do I make myself clear?"

Leland nodded frantically and Magnus let him go, smiling darkly as the stunned man sank against the wall to sit on the floor, hand feeling the developing bruises around his neck. Men like this were a large part of the reason he had completely left his old life behind, and he felt sick in their presence now.

"I thought you were the Martinsson heir," chinless sniveled. "What are you doing with a gun? And dating the help?"

"Moving up," he snarled. "Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go find my very intelligent, very spoken for girlfriend and warn her not to wander anywhere alone, lest some idiot sick of life decides to accost her. Gentlemen."

With a curt nod he tossed down his cue stick and left the room, a sliver of grim satisfaction burning in his chest. He needed to find Lanie. The very thought of one of those foul toads touching her made him livid. He was suddenly regretting sending her out looking so tempting. He had been thinking only of his own appetite, not the lust she might inspire in others. Arrogantly he had assumed that the rest of the men would stay away from the woman he had so clearly marked as his own. 

As he exited the back of the house, he just caught sight of her down by the lake. She was some ways away, but he thought he would recognize her anywhere. The glow of her hair was like a halo, even in the darkening afternoon. As he watched she stood up and started walking towards the tree line with what was obviously exaggerated casualness. What was she playing at? 

With a shake of his head he set off after her. After listening to the morons in the billiard room he did not fancy her wandering unaccompanied in the darkening woods. Of course, wandering in those woods with him was another matter entirely. Smiling he followed her, already imagining what he would do when he caught up with her. One thing those idiots inside had gotten right, she was well worth having, and even though Magnus had already sampled her once that morning, he could not wait to taste her  again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So happy that people are actually reading this! Your comments make my day and help me become energized to write more. Love you all!!


	25. Learning a Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie is caught out in the storm.
> 
> A lot of smut, a little fluff. Enjoy!

His strong arm around her held her in place with her own arms locked at her side, while his firm hand over her mouth smothered the scream she had been just about to let loose. Panic seemed to fill her as she struggled to break free until his low, sinfully caressing voice purred in her ear.

”I would reconsider screaming, darling. Not that you aren’t delectable, but I don’t think we really want anyone else to see just how completely pornagraphic you look at this moment.”

”Magnus!” Lanie breathed a sigh of relief as he moved his hand, melting back into his arms.

“We’re you expecting someone else?” He asked, giving the chain now visible between her breasts a tug.

”I didn’t know what to expect,” she admitted, pressing her ass back into him instinctually as her nipples pulled forward. “I lost track of the person I was following, and then I realized I had gotten turned around, and with no sun to  judge the direction by, I didn’t know which way to go.”

”The person you were following?” He echoed, a steely note creeping into his tone. 

“Yes, and then all of a sudden it started to rain, and I thought I was done for.”

”I see... and who exactly was it you were following?” He asked, teasing tone gone as he turned her around around and held her in front of him at arm’s length.

Good lord, pornagraphic didn’t even begin to cover how she looked! Her pale sundress was completely plastered to her body, and rather than conceal anything, the now completely sheer fabric only served to accentuate every curve. Also clearly visible was the chain he had just been playing with, which had made her nipples so stiff and dark that they seemed to be almost pushing through the material. His mouth went dry as he looked at her, despite the buckets of water falling onto them. He was so hard at the site of her like this it was physically painful.

”I’m not sure,” she said, and it took him a minute to even remember what his question had been. He was frighteningly close to throwing her to the ground and rutting into her in the mud like a beast. “I saw someone walking this way, at least I think it was this way, and they looked rather shifty. You know, keeping to the shadows, darting around corners, that sort of thing.”

As Lanie rambled on in explanation, Magnus became aware of a ringing in his ears and growing fire in his chest. His mouth fell open as she described her pursuit and his lustful urges became inextricably entangled with the urge to shake her until her teeth rattled.

A jarringly loud crack of thunder was followed almost instantly by the cracking noise of lightning hitting a tree alarmingly close. Lanie shrieked and jumped, her breasts bouncing up and down invitingly.

”That’s it!” Magnus snarled, and grabbing her by the wrist he dragged her through the woods the short distance to the glassed in gazebo he had noted on his way.

Once they had made it to shelter, Lanie protesting all the way at his rough man-handling of her, he pushed her down onto the cushioned banket against one of the walls. Towering over her, he glared down at the shivering woman.

”Do you have any idea,” he said through clenched teeth, “how foolish you have been?”

”Foolish!” she protested.

”Silence,” he snapped, pleased to see her start at his tone. “Foolish and dangerous! You, all five foot nothing, went off alone and unarmed after what could have proven to be a cold blooded killer?”

”Well, it also could have proven to be a busboy in search of a fag,” she pointed out reasonably.

”Will you stop talking?!?” He bellowed. Honestly, no one in his entire life had ever driven him so crazy as she. “Did you learn nothing from the last time? Or perhaps you’ve forgotten how only a week ago, the last time you went bumbling off on your own -“

”Bumbling!”

”- you were photographed by a murderous stalker and had your life explicitly threatened? Because I haven’t. The thought of it, if you lying dead in a heap, haunts me day and night. And even if, even if, Lanie, it were not the murderer you were following, do you have any idea at all how you look right now?”

”Like a drowned rat?” She offerd with a self depreciating laugh.

”You really have no idea do you? Every man in this place was dying to fuck you before you decided to perform a wet sundress contest for one. I just almost strangled a man with a cue stick for talking with his friends about getting you alone and raping you. And you wander off by yourself into the woods? How the hell have you survived all these years unmolested?”

Lanie shivered, wide-eyed, as he looked down over her, the reality of her situation finally sinking in. In the back of his mind Magnus felt a small pang if guilt for his part in her provocative appearance, but he was too angry and far too aroused to be self reflective. 

“Take off your dress,” he ordered her brusquely.

”What?” She squealed.

”Take. Off. Your. Dress. You are freezing.”

Hands shaking, Lanie took off the obscene dress and handed it to him. Magnus chucked it over his shoulder and raked his eyes over her before removing his own shirt and pants in quick succession. His cock, freed from the too-tight confines of his jeans, sprang up to hit his stomach.

”Get on your hands and knees on the bench,” he instructed her coldly, eyes burning. 

Trembling she did as he said, kneeling on the banket. The blue of the toy glittered dully between her ass cheeks, and the chain hung down, swaying slightly, from her breasts.

”Face down, ass up,” he corrected her, hand on her neck gently but forcefully lowering her head to the cushion so that her plump rear rose invitingly. His cock, red and angry as his face, twitched in excitement. “You know what is coming. You will count. And then, because you obviously need to learn more, you will ask me for another. Do I make myself clear?”

”Yes, detective,” she said meekly, making him pulse with excitement.

”Very well, let's begin.”

***

Lanie gulped as his large hand caressed her bare backside, the heat from him warming her cold skin with just a touch. Once again, he was completely overreacting to her very logical actions. Of course, that small voice in the back of her mind chimed in, he had been correct the last time, when he had feared the killer might be targeting her. Could he had be right this time as well? Was she foolish to have followed the mysterious person on her own?

"Well?" he asked, rousing her from her thoughts.

"Well what?" she returned, genuinely confused at what he was waiting for.

"You want to learn, don't you pet?" he asked her in a hard voice.

Suddenly she knew what he wanted, but her face blushed at the thought. One look up at his set face was enough to show her that she had little choice in the matter, so she took a deep breath and said what he desired.

"Please, detective," she whispered, voice catching a bit, "I have behaved badly. Please punish me so that I can learn."

As his cock twitched against his hard stomach, Magnus raised his hand and brought it down hard on her ass, groaning as made contact with her flesh.

"One," she gasped, feeling the familiar burn on her bum and the corresponding warm dampness in her cunt. "May I please have another?"

"Since you ask so prettily," he said, smiling darkly as he spanked her again.

"Two. May I please have another?"

Magnus lowered his hand and played with the toy inside her, moving it in and out a few times before suddenly letting it go and striking her again.

"Ah!" she cried out, not sure if it was from pain or the jolt of pleasure that seemed to flash through her nether regions. "Three. "Another please, detective."

"You beg so prettily, sweet," he groaned, squeezing her reddening cheeks and making her moan. "You want to be good for me, don't you?"

Swat.

"Four! Yes, detective. I want to be good. I want to obey your laws. Please give me more. Teach me to be good."

Swat.

"Five!"

"I should keep going, I should spank you till your ass is crimson and you can't sit down for a week. But I'm afraid my cock just can't wait that long to sink into you. Just look at you! You look like my own private little whore, all covered in my marks, wearing the pretty jewelry I gave you, stretching you cute little ass for me so that I can slide right into it. Shall I, lovely? Shall I take ownership of that part of you?"

"Yes," she moaned, not caring any more that it would most likely hurt, just wanting his cock inside of her, wherever he chose to put it. "Yes, detective. Take it. Take me. Teach me to obey you."

Growling, Magnus reached down and slowly pulled the toy out of her, wiggling it around as he did to stretch her further. Kneeling on the bench behind her, he rubbed his cock over her dripping pussy, coating himself in her slick. Lanie panted as she felt his length slide against her, head hitting her clit a few times as he made sure he was nice and slippery. Lining up with her entrance, he slowly began to push into her, and she mewled in fear and light pain as he did.

"Relax, darling," he cooed, reaching around to fondle her clit. "Relax and let me in. You know you want this. You want me to own you. To claim every part of your body. Don't fight against it. Just breath and let me take you."

Letting his words flow over her as his fingers stoked her pleasure, Lanie felt her muscles relax a bit. As soon as they did, he pushed farther in, and she gasped at the strange feeling of fullness invading her. There was something so overwhelming, so truly dominating about this, it both terrified her and excited her to no end. 

"So good," he groaned, shallowly pulling out a bit only to press further in, taking her channel inch by agonizing inch. "You're so unbelievably tight. So fucking amazing. I'm almost there, lovely. Just a few more inches and I'll be home. And when I am, when I am buried to the balls in your gorgeous ass, you are going to scream out your orgasm for me, do you understand?"

"Yes... yes detective," she panted, barely able to form words as her mind and body reeled from the stretch he was forcing on her and the diabolical way his fingers toyed with her clit, knowing just how to stoke her desire.

"That's a good girl. I'm almost there. Cum for darling. Let me here you scream."

As he bottomed out with her Magnus pinched her clit with a twisting motion and Lanie screamed out, his name and obscenities forming a steady stream as her orgasm hit her hard. He laughed breathily and forcefully but carefully pushed in and out of her tight ass.

"Look love," he said, turning her head so she was facing out the glass of the gazebo. "The rain has stopped. The sun is coming out. Do you think anyone will be going for a walk yet? Strolling through the woods now that there is daylight again? Perhaps even looking for you."

Lanie whimpered as his thumb started to graze her button once again, fingers dipping down to finger the entrance to her cunt while he still lustily fucked her ass.

"What if they come this way? What if they look up from across the lake and see us? See you, face down, ass up, being fucked for all you're worth by my big cock right in your ass? Do you think they'll enjoy the view? Would you enjoy it? I think part of you would."

Lanie whined again, eyes going wide at the thought of being discovered in such a compromising position, but at the same time aware that she was drenching his fingers with the evidence of her arousal.

"That's it, darling. You want to scream again, don't you. Scream out your orgasm so that they'll hear you and come discover what a filthy little thing you really are. Let me hear it, love."

Unable to hold it back with the all out war he was waging on her body and her mind, Lanie clamped down again around him, cock and fingers, as her body rocked in an orgasm. Pulled on by her grip around him, Magnus' own climax hit, and she felt the hot, wet pulse of his cum filling up what little space was left within her and seeping out around him to run down her thighs.

"Oh god, yes," he grunted, rocking within her as she milked him. "Oh fuck, you are the sexiest woman I've ever know. So fucking perfect for me. God, I never want to pull out of you."

Bending his long body, Magnus folded over her, arms wrapping around her torso hold her back to his chest. Shivering now for a completely different reason, Lanie let his body heat warm her as he brought her down onto her side on the banket, naked bodies spooned against each other, still seated inside of her.

"Are you alright, love?" he asked.

Unable to speak, Lanie settled for nodding affirmative.

"You are you know," he said drowsily. "My love. It's too early I know, and I don't expect for you to say it back. In fact I'd rather you didn't now, because I'd always wonder if you said it just to be polite. But I wanted you to know. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and if I were to lose you to whoever it is we are up against, it would kill me. Honestly, Lanie, I wouldn't survive. So please, darling, please stop taking these foolish chances. For my sake if not your own. Have pity me."

Well, when he put it like that. Lanie turned her head and kissed him long and deep. He may not want to hear the words at that moment, but she tried to let her lips and tongue say all the things she didn't vocalize. All the reasons why she would never get enough of him. All the reasons she loved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! I am trying to update this weekly again! Really appreciate the comments!


	26. The Unlocked Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Lanie bask in the after glow, and then Lanie finds an unlocked door. What do you think the chances are she waits for him to investigate?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my second time writing this chapter. The first time (early last week) the entire thing ate itself when I tried to save it! Anyway, sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy it! My Loki story is finished, so I might have an easier time with this now! :)

Her heart had finally begun to return to a normal rate beneath his hand, and her shivering was dwindling to a minimum, but Magnus was willing to bet Lanie’s mind was still flung into a million pieces. It had been shockingly invasive and unspeakably intimate. In that stretch of time he had completely dominated her, owned her body and soul. He still wasn’t sure what it said about him that her subjugation aroused him as much as it did. 

“Still with me, lovely?” Magnus asked, stroking the side of her face with one long finger.

He had found a blanket in a stack beneath the bench they lay on and wrapped it snuggly around them. Not pushing her to speak at first, he had simply held her, hands roaming at random in soothing circles over her body while the warmth from his skin seeped into her.

Humming in affirmation, Lanie turned her head a bit so that she gazed at him. He felt so young and open at times like these, with a vulnerability about him that was hard to reconcile with the demanding lover he had been only minutes before. Though even when he was dominating her, Magnus tried to always make sure that she was alright, and that she too was fully satisfied by their activities. As she looked into his eyes a small smile lifted one corner of her mouth.

"I hope that is not how you punish most of the wrong doers you come across during a case, detective," she said, raising an ironic eyebrow at him.

"No," he laughed, face flushing in embarrassment. "I can't say that I've ever used precisely that technique in the line of duty before. However, given your propensity for haring off at completely improper moments, something tells me it will not be the last. You're just lucky I didn't have my cuffs with me."

"I would argue with you, but you have fucked away my will to resist," she sighed.

"Well then, my work here is done," Magnus laughed. "So, tell me about this person you were following. The shifty looking character who sounds straight out of an old detective novel."

"I didn't get a good look at them," Lanie answered. "There was something familiar about them, though. Which is strange since they were wearing a long coat with the hood up. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I should know who it was."

"Do you think it was Haas?" he asked, face taking on a serious cast to match his thoughts.

"It could have been," she said, chewing on her lip as she struggled to picture the person. "Whoever it was, they were not overly large. Definitely shorter than you, though most people are, and slim."

Magnus could not help a proud grin at the reference to his superior size. 

"Well, whoever it was, if they were up to no good let's hope that the rain kept them from whatever it was they were attempting."

"That was quite the deluge," she fretted. "I wasn't expecting it to come on so hard or so fast, or I would have run back to the house instead of after them into the woods."

"Well, upon my word," Magnus gasped mockingly, "that almost sounded like common sense! Who are you, miss, and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" she echoed, teasing him with the word.

"A silly word, I know, and it sounds a bit strange at our age, but I don't really know how else to phrase it," he admitted, feeling, absurdly, almost shy now that he had let it slip out in front of her. "Do you mind?"

"Not a bit," she smiled contentedly. "I suppose that makes you my boyfriend, doesn't it."

"If you prefer, you could refer to me as your Master," he told her, eyes glowing just enough to let her know that there was at least a small part of him that wasn't joking. 

"That wouldn't sound strange at all," she deadpanned. "Please, everyone, allow me to introduce my Master, detective Martinsson. Master, these are me friends and co-workers."

She had meant it as a joke he knew, but as the words came out of her mouth, Magnus could feel himself clenching in intense arousal. A low growl rumbled unbidden in his chest and his arms tightened around her.

"Keep that up, darling, and we will not be leaving this gazebo any time soon," he told her, voice dark and hot. "I'll have you on your knees and following my orders like an obedient little pet. But if we tarry that long someone might come looking for us in truth, and I am not in a sharing mood."

With great reluctance he released her from his embrace and stood up, grinning as her eyes roamed over his naked body. He loved the way she looked at him, shy and wanting at the same time, and couldn't resist taking his sweet time locating his clothing and slowly drawing it onto his body. The damp made the fabric cling to him, but he decided the discomfort was worth it if it kept that hot look in her eyes.

Lanie's dress was more problematic. Thought the thin fabric had partially dried, it was still far too see through to provide for modesty. After a moment of looking at the alternatives, Magnus took his coat and wrapped her small frame in it. The sleeves hung down past her wrists, and the hem reached her knees, but when she wrapped it around herself it at least covered all her delicious bits and pieces. He also enjoyed the way it suggested a nakedness underneath. He would have to take her in it later, he decided.

Walking quickly and keeping inside the tree line they made their way back to the main house. Magnus thought about the person Lanie had seen, but without more to go on it was impossible to reach any conclusions as to their identity. He would just have to keep his eyes open and hope who ever it was made a mistake before any more tragedy befell.

When they had stealthily entered the house they made a bee line for the family quarters. Lanie needed to get into some warm clothing, and Magnus wanted to make sure she was safely in her own room before making the trek up to the attic to change himself. They almost allowed themselves to get swept away again, but a glance at the clock showed the hour to be later than either of them had realized. They would be looked for soon. With a sigh and a long, lingering kiss, Magnus left her to change while he made his way to his own room, promising to be back in quickly to retrieve her.

***

Lanie still felt a bit shaky as she sat on the edge of her narrow bed, wrapped in Magnus' large jacket. The ache inside her prompted her to close her eyes and remember the feeling, helpless, taken, completely at the mercy of Magnus' will, as he filled her up and laid claim to her trembling body. She had never been so totally owned by another human being, and she liked it, wanted to surrender to it. Surrender to him. Completely.

Forcing herself to focus, Lanie pulled a knee length skirt and light cotton sweater on. It was the most concealing outfit she had packed, considering Magnus had forbidden underwear and somehow managed to make sure all of her longer skirts got left behind. Lanie shook her head at his presumption, but could not manage to feel annoyed at him. She liked that he seemed to always want her accessible to him. She just hoped that she could keep the inevitable arousal when she was around him from running down her legs at an inopportune moment.

She had just given up on trying to fix her hair - it was apparently going to curl into ringlets no matter what she did with it - and opened the hall door when she noticed that the room across from her was open as well. Glancing either way down the hallway to make sure there was no one else lurking, Lanie tiptoed stocking-footed into the hallway.

As she peered into the room across from hers, Lanie couldn't believe her luck. She had thought maybe it would turn out to be a walk-in closet or storeroom; she knew none of the guests had been staying in there, but it took only a quick glance to realize that it was none other than Haas' office. Biting her bottom lip, Lanie opened the door gently a bit more and squeezed herself inside.

The room was not big, but it was sparsely furnished enough, as Haas' work office always was, that it felt larger than it actually was. A large desk sat against one wall, window above it overlooking the front drive. There were no papers on the desk, but that didn't surprise Lanie knowing her boss. Sitting in the sleek leather chair before it, she slid open the top office drawer. The fact that it was unlocked was unexpected, but this was his own home, after all. He wouldn't need to be as careful here as he was at work. There, sitting in the drawer, was an envelope marked "CONFIDENTIAL" in big letters, sealed with clear tape.

Lanie chewed on her lower lip as she regarded the envelope. Clearly it was too obvious to be anything truly incriminating, but it might be something to give them a hint at what Haas was after. She could gently pry up the tape without tearing the folder underneath if she was careful, and Haas would never have to know she had been snooping. Working slowly to avoid any unfortunate rips, Lanie focused all her attention on the envelope before her. When at last she had pealed up the last bit of it, she cautiously opened the envelope.

It was a list of names and numbers, but beyond that Lanie had no idea what it meant. Some of the names she recognized from members of the house party, but others she had never heard of before. All in all, about twelve names graced the list, and there, at the very bottom, was her own. Gulping down hard, Lanie stared at the list in shock, wondering what Haas was wanting with the people on the list. She didn't think she wanted to know. With shaky hands, Lanie focused the phone of her camera over the list and took a series of quick photos. When she was done, she pressed down the tape to its original position and began to slide the folder back into the drawer.

"I was wondering what you would do," a resigned voice said from behind her. "I am so sorry that I guessed correctly."

Jumping in shock, Lanie spun around to see Haas leaning lazily against the door frame. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, and he had an air of sad resignation to him. Lanie felt as though she had somehow just let a parent or teacher down, and tried to stop a guilty flush from sweeping across her face.

"Erik," she said, once she could breath again, "you startled me."

"Apparently," he said with a smirk. "Just what exactly are you doing, Lanie?"

"The door was open as I was passing by," she said, making up the lie as she went, "and when I glanced in I saw this photo on the desk. It clearly wasn't something you wanted anyone else to see, so I thought I would put it away in your desk for you."

"Indeed?"

"What can I say," she laughed uneasily, "I just can't help my assistant tendencies."

"Oh, Lanie," Hass said sadly, "how I wish that were true."

"What do you mean?" she tried to brazen it out. 

"I saw you take the photos," he told her, sounding legitimately regretful. "I left the door open to see what you would do, you see. I was hoping against hope that you would be able to resist, but it was too much of a temptation, wasn't it."

"Erik..." she searched for a plausible excuse, but couldn't come up with anything. The way her boss was leaning against the door way suddenly took on a more sinister aura. She would be unable to exit the room, she realized, without getting around him through the narrow space. From the manner in which he stood he was not about to step aside and make it easy on her. She was trapped then. Taking a deep breath she tried to keep her heart from racing. Magnus would be back soon. He had just gone up to change, and then he would come and find her. Surely, Erik wouldn't do anything to her before that, would he?

"I'm so sorry, Lanie," Haas said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind his with a terrifying click. "I never wanted it to come to this. I think you know how I feel about you."

"Erik, you don't have to do this!" 

Lanie stood up, truly alarmed now. While no where near as tall or muscular as Magnus, Haas was still a good deal bigger than Lanie. If it came to brute strength she knew she was no match for him.

"I'm afraid I do," he sighed, shaking his head. "I gave you every chance. Tried to protect you anyway I could. If you had just given up after all that unpleasantness in the server room it would never have had to come to this."

"Erik, please!"

"Tell me, was the cop in on it from the beginning?" he asked. "I didn't think so at first. In fact, I thought he was cozying up to you in order to find out your secret. It infuriated me, watching you fall for his lies while he used his wiles to seduce you into giving yourself away. But all this time, he was your accomplice, wasn't he?"

"My accomplice?" Lanie was suddenly at a complete loss. "Erik, what are you talking about?"

"There's no point in playing the innocent any more, Lanie," Erik said, crossing crowd her against the desk. "I know it's been you the whole time. But I can still help you if you let me. I know you didn't want to kill that man. Just tell me who hired you to steal the information and I will get you out of the country and set you up in an entirely new life."

"Wait, what? You think  _I_ killed him?"

"Well of course," Erik blinked at her.

"Then  _you didn't_? _"_ she demanded.

Standing there, both completely stunned, Lanie and Erik stared at each other in shock.


	27. Alibis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie realizes that things might not be as they seem.

Lanie was stunned as she and Haas stared at each other across the small office. His face displayed such shock there was no way he was faking his reaction.

”You’re not the killer,” she said softly, more to herself than to him.

”No, I am not the killer!” Erik spit out, tone totally offended. “How could you possibly think I would do something like that?”

”I don’t know,” she flailed, guilt overwhelming her. “Erik, I am so sorry I accused you of that and... Wait! Why am I apologizing?!? You thought the same thing about me! Me!”

”I did,” he nodded, sitting down on the bench by the door. “Of course I did.”

”And why of course, exactly,” she demanded, pursing her lips as he stared blankly at her.”

”You were there,” he shrugged. “You must be able to figure out my safe combinations by now - I know how your mind works, Lanie - so you had access to all of the most sensitive files. You certainly could use the money. Means, motive, and opportunity. I just assumed he caught you after hours copying the information and -“

”And I KILLED HIM?!?” Lanie’s voice skittered upward.

”Well, yes,” he shrugged.

”You really think I am capable of that?” She asked, collapsing into the desk chair.

”I think anyone is capable of anything, given the right circumstances,” Haas answered cynically. “I know you better than most, Lanie. You are far tougher than you let on.”

”But I’m not a killer!” She insisted.

”Like me?” he smiled sardonically. 

“Well...” she couldn’t quite bring herself to meet his eye.

“I knew the police suspected me, hell, I even encouraged them that way a bit to throw them off your scent, but I never suspected you shared their belief.”

”You did that?” She was simultaneously touched and horrified.

”I’ve never hidden how I feel about you, Lanie,” he pointed out, capturing her gaze. I would do anything for you.”

”And that’s just the problem, Erik,” she sighed. “You are just so insistent. I’ve been looking over my shoulder for the last week, half expecting you to kidnap me and tie me up with duck tape in your basement.”

”From the stories I’ve heard, that sounds more like your boytoy’s modus operandi than mine,” Erik sneered. “I wanted to treat you like a princess. To spoil and pamper you, and to keep you safe.”

”Well, to be perfectly honest with you,” she confessed, “that sounds terribly boring to me. I’m not a princess, Erik. I’m a worker bee. I _like_ working. I like taking risks. I’ve even discovered over the past while that I like a bit of danger.”

It was true. While she would be relieved when she no longer had a target on her back, Lanie couldn’t deny that she had felt more alive the last week than she ever had before, and it was not only because of the amazing sex. She liked that Magnus, while he definitely enjoyed being a tyrant in bed, and could be over protective at times, also seemed to greatly value her mind. He asked for her thoughts on the case, and listened to her responses. He shared that side of his life with her. It was refreshing.

”You know he will end up hurting you,” Haas broke into her thoughts, a bitter smile twisting his mouth.

”What makes you think that?” She asked defiantly. “You think I could never hold the interest of someone like him?”

”Lanie, for a smart girl you can be frightfully stupid at times,” he laughed. “I’ve all but confessed my love for you, and you think I don’t believe you could hold that pretty boy’s interest? No, it had nothing to do with that, my dear. And I will even go so far as to say that I have become convinced his affection for you is genuine.”

”But?” She prodded.

”But,” he sighed, “family will out. He’s from old money. They won’t let him go. His family. Just wait. He’s going through a rebellious phase now, yes, and maybe he will even last a decade in his job. But eventually the time will come when he is expected to do his duty and settle down to produce children. One can’t let a fortune like the Martinsson’s be split up amongst distant cousins. No, all that power and money needs to stay consolidated in central hands. And for that to happen the golden prince will need to mary and breed an heir.”

"And why exactly can't he do that with me?" she asked, already knowing the answer before he suppled it.

"You are a worker bee," Haas told her, unhappily. "By your own insistence. Worker bees do not mate with the princes, Lanie. He will have to find suitable royalty to mingle his bloodline with."

"You don't know him," she insisted, trying to believe her words.

"No," Haas admitted, resigned. "I don't. But I know his type. He will take what he can from you, and then he will leave you. Tell me, do you really think I would ever be so cruel to you?"

Lanie lowered her eyes, wishing she had a different answer.

*** 

Magnus lay on his bed with a big, loopy grin on his face. Defying all logic, he was hard again. You would think he was back in his adolescence given how frequently his cock was demanding his attention these days. Ever since being assigned to Lanie all his blood seemed to have gone strait south.

Since his first fumbling days at school, Magnus had always enjoyed a healthy sex life. Girls just liked him it seemed, and god knew he liked them. But now he was starting to wonder if he was turning into an addict. There was just something about his girl, he thought. The way she looked so innocent with her big eyes and shy smile, even as she was letting him do the filthiest things to her. And not just passively _letting_ him, he corrected himself in his thoughts. She was no passive participant in their coupling. No, his girl  _liked it_ when he got dirty with her, thrilled to it, the kinkier the better.

Moaning, Magnus grabbed one of the stockings she had been wearing the night before and began using it to stroke himself off.

He had almost taken her again when they got to her room. Seeing her in his huge jacket giving her the appearance of being naked beneath it, it was all he could do not push her back onto the bed and keep her there for the rest of the afternoon. He had needed all of his will power to restrict himself to some heavy groping and searing kisses before reluctantly taking himself up here to change and try and get himself under control.

Damn, but they needed to catch this killer. He wanted to be able to enjoy her without having to worry. True, part of him would always have to be a little on guard - she seemed shockingly naïve about how men saw her. Of course, when he had first seen her in the pub he had written her off as shy, almost mousy even, but since then he had learned better. And in the days since she had seemed to blossom before his eyes, going from a hidden beauty doing her best to blend into the woodwork to a full fledged bombshell. For a moment he wondered if he might have had something to do with that transformation, but the very idea was ludicrous he decided. It must just have been his mood that first night at the very beginning, his irritation with the assignment, that had kept him from seeing the true stunner she was. Certainly the men in the billiard room this afternoon had seen her charms, at least the external ones at any rate. He really wishes on some primitive level that he had done much more permanent damage the all three of those elitist toads.     

In any case, Magnus could not wait until the whole case was wrapped up and his Lanie was no longer in harm's way. He had some vacation time saved up, and he could think of nothing better to spend it on than hiding himself away someplace alone with Lanie where he could take his time learning every inch of her gorgeous obody, every obscene noise she made when aroused, and just how far he could push her boundaries. He had the exciting suspicion that the answer to the last question was however far he wanted, and the idea alone was enough to have him cumming into his nylon covered hand.

Cleaning up with a quick, cold shower, Magnus dug into his suitcase and pulled on a tight button down shirt and a pair of khakis. He had now orgasmed three times today, surely he could keep his mind on his job and find  _something_ that would link the murders to Haas. The sooner they put him behind bars the better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a bit short - more to come soon!


	28. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A scream brings Magnus running. What will he find when he arrives?

Magnus made his way downstairs with the usual swagger in his step. Tonight’s dinner would be more of a casual affair, with some singer Haas had flown in from London giving a private concert afterwards. He should have time to snoop around, perhaps actually find something usable to tie Haas to the analyst’s murder. He would just have to keep his mind on work. Not on how Lanie’s hair curled around her ear, or the way a dimple formed on the left side of her face when she smiled. Or how wet she got when his voice took on a certain commanding tone she seemed to love... damn, this was going to be harder than he thought!

He was beginning to feel a now all too familiar tightness in his pants as he reached her door, and knocked twice while considering whether it would be best to succumb to the inevitable and just fuck her quick and dirty when she answered the door, or draw out both of their desire until later so that they could barely breath for wanting each other. He had come to the realization that both would be the obvious answer when a scream from across the hall shook him out of his smutty reverie.

It was Lanie’s voice, there was no mistaking it, and it was filled with terror. Spinning around, Magnus lunged towards the door across the hall and threw it open, deeply regretting leaving his side arm in his room.

The scene in the office made his blood boil. There was Lanie, his Lanie, face ashen and backed against the far wall. Looming before her, back to Magnus was Erik Haas, one hand on the wall next to her head as though to trap her there.

Magnus wasted no time. Grabbing Haas’ shoulder, he spun him around and drove his fist into his face with all the pent up aggression of a week’s worth of restraint. Lanie screamed again, leaping forward and grabbing Magnus’ arm.

“Magnus, stop!” She shouted. “What are you doing? Erik, are you alright?”

”Is he all right?” Magnus asked in disbelief, shaking the limp body of his rival as he pulled out of Lanie’s grasp. “Are you alright! What was he doing to you?”

”What? Nothing! Magnus, let him go!”

With a barely contained snarl, Magnus released Haas and watched in satisfaction as he crumpled to the floor. Much to his confusion and chagrin, Lanie hurried to kneel down next to her boss in obvious concern, taking his face between her hands to check for injury.

”Erik, are you okay?” She asked, shooting Magnus a glare. “Mags, what were you thinking?”

”What was I thinking?” He growled, not believing she was taking her attacker’s side. “I was thinking I heard my girl scream, and then entered the room to see a murderer hovering over her. Get away from him, Lanie, before he threatens you again!”

“He’s not a murderer,” Lanie huffed, as if they hadn’t spent the last week working to prove that he was just that.

”What?” Magnus was reeling in confusion.

”I’m not a murderer,” Haas repeated, smug look on his face at Lanie’s defense of him, despite the blood seeping from his nose. “You might try actually listening to the lady, detective.”

Magnus clenched his teeth and took a deep breath. 

“You screamed,” he said to Lanie, tightly holding on to his temper.

”Oh, that,” normally he loved her blushes, but at the moment Magnus could have happily throttled her as she stood there staring at the floor in embarrassment.

”Yes, that,” he snapped, patience at a breaking point. “Explain.”

”Um... well, you see... there was a... er... spider,” She stammered out.

”A spider,” he repeated dumbly.

”A really big spider,” She hastened to add, face turning even redder.

”The remains of it are on the wall, and on the tissue just over there, if you don’t believe her,” Haas added in a malicious tone.

Looking over to the wall, Magnus did indeed see a rather good sized smudge of black where Haas’ hand had been pressed, as well as the crumpled tissue on the floor beneath it.

”That scream was for a spider?” He asked with incredulity.

”A big one!” Lanie repeated. “That dropped down from the ceiling right next to my head!”

”You will learn, detective,” Haas said with a smirk, “that there are few, of any, things our little Lanie fears more than spiders. That is, if you are around long enough to learn it.”

”Erik, behave!” Lanie snapped at her boss, handing him a tissue to staunch his bleeding. “You do not want to have a measuring contest with Magnus. Trust me, you would never win.”

It was Magnus’ turn to smile smugly at her reference to his impressive size. Still, her flattering declaration did not explain her complete reversal on Erik Haas and his place on their list as number one suspect. With a sigh that packed all of the long suffering feeling churning through his brain, Magnus sat down on the bench, pulling Lanie down to sit next to him. She could be convinced all she wanted, he was taking no chances with the best thing to come his way... maybe ever. Flighty tendencies and all.

”Okay,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying to calm himself. “Let’s start from the beginning. Why have you ruled Haas out as the killer?”

”Because he thought I was,” she smiled, as if that explained it all.

When she had finished her explanation he was more convinced than ever that she was insane. Granted, it did seem that Haas had truly believed her guilty, but the fact that she had absorbed that and decided to take it in stride was absurd to him. Magnus dropped his head into his hands as he took it all in. It was settled; she was going to be the death of him.

”As much as I am enjoying our little conversations,” Haas oozed, standing and righting his clothing, “I do have a house full of guests that I should be attending to. Assuming I am not under arrest for arachnicide, detective?”

”Just go,” Magnus sighed.

”Do you need me to -“ Lanie began as Haas wobbled towards the door. 

“Oh no you don’t!” He stopped her, hearing the slight panic in her voice and having no intention of letting her escape. “You and I need to have a little chat. Haas, you are free to go for the moment, but don’t think that I have completely ruled you out as a suspect.”

”I would be heartbroken if you had, detective,” the other man sniggered. “And just for the record, I haven’t ruled you out either.”

With that, he was out the door and Magnus was left alone with his darling as she shifted guiltily from one foot to the other. Not speaking a word, Magnus stood up and hearded her with his intimidating size out the door and across the hall into her room. Closing the door behind him and locking it with a satisfying click, he folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the door.

"Sit," he commanded, staring down at her.

It was time for a serious conversation.

***

  
"Should I roll over and play dead too?" Lanie asked, trying for a saucy tone but feeling like she just sounded petulant.

"I am more concerned about death of the non-playing type," he replied, no trace of humor in his voice. "Now, Sit."

Lanie gulped and sat down on the edge of the bed, chewing her lip as she tried to avoid his glowering eyes. It was not easy, as his form so easily filled the small room at the best of times. Now, with waves of alpha energy rolling off of him, he seemed to positively loom over everything. Lanie soon found herself feeling like a guilty school girl, which only served to put a particularly naughty image in her mind, making things worse. She was not sure whether the intended intimidation or sudden lust was more responsible for the shudder that went through her body. Most likely a healthy does of both, she decided.

"Elaine Sophia Greyson," Magnus clipped off, making her gasp at the use of her full name. How on earth had he found out that? "You are by all accounts an intelligent woman."

"Mags, I know what you are going to say..."

Magnus' eyes narrowed as she looked up at him. With a firm stride, he crossed the room and pulled something out of her suitcase. As Lanie twisted to see what it was, he dropped down onto the bed next to her and, with surprisingly little effort, pushed a portion of scarf into her mouth and tied the rest around her face to form a perfectly functioning gag.

"That's better," he grunted in satisfaction, catching her wrists as Lanie raised them to try and remove the gag, cries of protest effectively muffled. "If you want to continue with your hands unbound, you will leave them in you lap. If not, I have no problem finding something else with which to secure you. Now, do I have your attention?"

Lanie glared at him. She desperately wanted to be angry, as he so clearly was at her. The fact that she could feel her desire pooling hot and wet between her thighs made her almost as crazy as his manhandling of her. Why did she find it  _so_ arousing when he did this to her? Pressing her thighs together, she determinedly stared at her lap.

"I asked you a question, pet," he growled. "Do I have your attention?"

Lanie lifted her eyes to his at his commanding tone, melting even more at the look blazing in them. It was magnificently dominant and screamed of control. Behind the gag, she found herself panting as she gazed at him, so beautiful and so masculine in his mastery. Unable to stop herself, she nodded once, then lowered her head again in an unconscious gesture of submission.

"That's more like it," he approved. "Now, I am not sure what it is about this situation, or about my explanation of it, that you find so hard to understand. You are an intelligent woman, not some dim little feather brain with no thought in her head. And yet,  _and yet, Lanie_ , you seem determined to put yourself in danger at every turn. Do you have some death wish that you have failed to tell me about?"

Lanie shook her head, eyes remaining on her lap. She really had not meant to put herself in danger. Certainly not so soon after his last warning. But it had been too perfect of an opportunity not to seize. The door had been open! It had been an invitation to snoop. Of course, in this case that had been the literal truth, with Haas laying a trap for her. But not, NOT, so that he could kill her as Magnus and she had feared, but so that he could help her! The frustration of not being able to  _say_ any of this due to the scarf stuffed in her mouth was infuriating.

"I fail to understand why you keep putting yourself into these situations then," he continued. "You have no regard for your own welfare, and obviously no regard for my piece of mind. You leave me very few options here, Lanie."

Lanie looked up quickly, wondering what in the world he was talking about. Her eyes demanded an explanation, and Magnus sighed as if he was shouldering the weight of the world.

"The way I see it," he told her, narrowing his eyes, "we have two choices. One, I tie you to the bed upstairs for the next two days, locking you in when I leave."

As Lanie's gaped at Magnus with huge eyes, a slow grin began to form on his face. He obviously was warming to the idea, and Lanie began to fear that he might actually do it.

"The more I think about it," Magnus said, confirming her worst fears, "the more I am liking that idea. Having you bound to my bed, even if it's a borrowed one. Lying there, waiting for me all secure to return and use you. Maybe I'd leave the gag in, maybe add a blindfold. I bet you'd like that, lovely. I bet you're thinking about it even now, getting all damp between your legs, aren't you? Picturing yourself open and waiting to be taken by me."

Lanie groaned behind the gag, unable to a contain longing sound at the image he painted. Magnus chuckled at her noises and pushed his hand up between her legs to roughly slide against her slippery lips. Wantonly, Lanie leaned towards him, and his mouth attached to the side of her neck, sucking her skin and drawing up a bruise. But as quickly as he had pressed to her, he tore himself away again, standing up and running his hands through his curls.

"Enough of that!" he rasped, shaking his head as if to clear it. Lanie was glad the gag hid her grin. He had pulled himself into that image as well it seemed. "We are getting off the subject. As I was saying, option one is tying you to the bed. And as fond as I am of the idea, it does pose some unavoidable problems. If anything were to happen, you would have no means of escape."

Lanie, raised her eyebrows to show her skepticism, but Magnus smiled grimly.

"Oh, believe me, lovely, if I tie you down, you are  _not_ getting up again until I let you go. So, the other option is to tie you to me. When we leave this room, it will be to bring all of your belongings up to my attic room. You will stay with me at all times, were I can see you. I will make exceptions for you to use the facilities, but only when the door to them is within my sight. From this moment on, you may consider yourself under arrest. Do you understand?"

Lanie glared at him, not wanting to believe the extent to which he was over reacting, then turned around and sat in the middle of the bed so that her back was to him. Stalking back over to her, Magnus pushed her down backwards, his hand splayed out on her chest so she lay flat on her back, eyes staring up at him from where here head hung off the edge of the mattress.

"Do. You. Under. Stand." he asked, holding her in place as their eyes warred for supremacy.

Finally, realizing he would not budge in his demands, Lanie dipped her chin in surrender. Magnus smiled in triumph, eyes raking over her body as she lay pressed down into the bed. Her eyes instinctively went to his groin, and as she expected the evidence of his arousal was impossible to miss where it fought against the confines of his pants. Following her eyes, he reached down and undid his belt and khakis, cock springing out to land right next to Lanie's face. Feeling her breath coming fast now, she stared at it in hunger until his fingers came down and pulled the gag out of her mouth, only to replace it a moment later with his long, hard erection.

Lanie moaned around him as he thrust up into her throat, the angle of her head and neck opening her up to his intrusion. He grunted as he pushed past the back of her mouth, and the sound made her even more desperate to take him all. Hands lifting to grab his perfect ass, she pressed him forward, laving her tongue along him as she sucked on his length, eyes watering from the effort not to choke or gag.

"That's it," he said, voice rough with passion. "Take it all. You are mine. Mine! And I will keep you safe if I have to keep you on a leash and make you my slave to do it! I will let nothing happen to this wonderful, wet, oh so fuckable mouth. Nothing! Nothing happen to these perfect tits, so nice and big and just right for my hands to grasp and play with. Nothing happen to that pretty little slippery cunt you have hidden under your skirt, all plump and open, waiting for me fill it. Now suck me like a good pet and show me how grateful you are. That's right, show me how much you want me to keep you safe for my own fucking, and I'll reward with you my cum. I know you want it. You're desperate for it. So work for it like the perfectly filthy slut I know you can be."

Already driven to the edge by the taste and feel of him in her mouth, Magnus' words had Lanie whining and bucking her hips as she sucked desperately on his cock. When it seemed he was too overcome to speak, grunts and moans taking the place of his wonderfully dirty words, he reached his hand down to yank up her skirt again and press down hard on her clit. As he began to falter in his rhythm, she felt her stomach and thighs tighten and cried around him as her orgasm his. Timed just right, Magnus poured himself into her waiting mouth, coating her throat with his salty sweet release. She drank it all down, desperately sucking to make sure she got every last drop until his balls were empty.

As he pulled slowly out of her mouth, Lanie gasped for breath before his lips crushed down on hers, taking it all from her again.

"I mean it, Lanie," he said when he finally lifted from her. "From now on, I am not letting you out of my sight."

Laying there panting and sated, she could not think of a reason to protest that.


	29. Confrontations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie is on her best behavior, now Magnus must follow suit.

He was keeping things business like from here on out. That's what Magnus told himself for the umpteenth time as he looked over the list of financials again of all of the guests at the event. He was here to work, not to play with his girl, and he could not let himself get distracted no matter how tempting it was to do nothing more than stare at her as she walked from table to table, sun dress flitting about her legs, checking on the centerpieces or whatever it was that had her attention. It was just that sort of laxity that had allowed her to wander off, _three times now_ , and risk danger. If he wanted her to respect the seriousness of the situation, he would have to as well.

He was working on the list and most certainly  _not_ fantasizing about the way she had looked with her head hanging over the bed full of his cock, when a hand came down on his shoulder. Resisting the urge to jump, Magnus looked up to see Sian Rymin, the undercover officer posing as a bartender from the catering staff, standing over him.

"A bit jumpy there, mate?" the open faced man asked with a grin.

"Sian," Magnus said, keeping his face neutral. "You're supposed to be keeping your distance."

"I was wondering if I could get you a drink, sir," the other officer said, slipping back into character. "It's warm out, and I would hate for you to become dehydrated while your watch the lady work."

Magnus rolled his eyes. Sian playing an obsequious server was a stretch to put it mildly. He was a naturally bluff spoken, pull no punches man, and Magnus knew he would hear no end of it for taking on the part of the pampered guest while his coworker was stuck in the menial role once this job was over.

"Don't mind if I do," he sighed, standing up and, making sure to keep Lanie in a clear line of sight, walking over to the bar. "Just a seltzer, I'm on girlfriend duty."

"Relax, Magnus," Sian said as he popped open a bottle of water and poured it into a glass. "Your girl is fine. No one is going to kidnap her while she arranges flowers."

"I'm not worried about that," Magnus laughed mirthlessly.

"That hard an assignment?" Sian said in commiseration. 

It took a moment for Magnus to realize what  the other cop was implying. He had totally forgotten that, as far as Sian or anyone from the precinct outside of Anne-Britt knew, his relationship with Lanie was an assignment. An assignment that Magnus had resented and fought against, no less! Quickly doing the adjustment in his head, Magnus sighed and took on a beleaguered look.

"You wouldn't believe it," he moaned, sipping on his water. 

"I don't know, she's pretty easy on the eyes," Sian said with a laugh. "Cozying up to her beats serving rich pricks if you ask me. And you were looking pretty chummy on the dance floor last night. Never knew you had those kind of moves, Martinsson!"

"When in Rome," he shrugged. "The lady wanted to dance, and I have strict instructions from the higher ups not to let her out of my sight."

"So I get stiffed for tips by picks and you have two hotties dirty dancing with you. I still say you got the better end of this deal."

"Holly West, the other girl is single, by the way," Magnus offered, smiling at the opening. "If you're interested, I could introduce you."

"They're both single, aren't they?" Sian asked, looking down at the lime he was cutting. "I mean, once this weekend is over and you don't have to pretend any more?"

"Of course," Magnus said quickly, wanting to bite his tongue off. "I just thought Holly might be more your type."

"Sure you did," Sian grinned. "Never bull shit a bull shitter, Magnus."

"Look, Sian - "

"Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm just glad you're finally off the market. It'll level the field for the rest of us poor schmucks. But listen, I think I might have found something."

"You're doing better than I am then," Magnus said, smiling at his friend's bushing off of his rule flouting. "What is it?"

"There's a small shack past the glassed in octagonal building - "

"Gazebo."

"Whatever. It's in a denser part of the woods, almost to the end of the property. I saw smoke coming out of the chimney last night while I was walking the perimeter. I was due back here to mix old fashions, so I didn't have time to check it out, but it seemed a little out of place to me. I'm going look into it tonight after this place shuts down."

"I wish I could go with you," Magnus worried, looking over to where Lanie was talking to the sound mixer for the music that would accompany the evening, "but Lanie's already run off twice today, and between the psycho stalking her and her obsessed boss..."

"Say no more. I have my job, you have yours. Hey, is that bruise on the boss man's chin your doing? Please tell me it is, he gives me the creeps."

"I can never confirm nor deny that statement," Magnus grinned. "Keep safe tonight, and call me if anything seems off."

"Will do. And I'm going to hit you up for that introduction to the girl later. I liked the way she danced."

"You would," Magnus laughed, remembering Holly's roaming hands. "Thanks Sian."

"No worries. Now get back to sitting around and looking pretty, I have real work to do."

***

Any misconceptions Lanie might have had that Magnus was being hyperbolic in his vow to keep her tied to his side were vanished rapidly. Her belongings were tossed into her suitcase and schlepped up to his room, the cozier main floor chamber a thing of the past. He accompanied her to the main pavilion out back, where an early dinner was being set out, and hovered within an arms length as she ordered the staff about in her firm but kind manner. 

Truth to tell, she was secretly relieved. Now that she knew it was not Haas who was the killer, Lanie was discovering that she was much more fearful than before. On some level, even though she had thought him a murderer she had never believed that Erik would really hurt her. Others, yes, but she knew his feelings for her, however unwelcome and unreciprocated, were genuine. He was not a man to form attachments easily, and she didn’t doubt that once he had formed them he would do anything in his power to protect them. Hell, even when he thought she was a killer he had still tried to assist her. She had, in fact, been far more worried for Mags before than for herself.

If the killer was not Erik, though, that meant that someone else, quite likely someone here, was a murderer. A murderer, moreover, who had stalked her outside her home and gotten close enough to snap crystal clear photos of her. With that in mind, having her police officer boyfriend standing close by with his gun strapped to his hip was proving to be a welcome presence, even without taking into account how much his possessive stance made her all gooey inside. 

The evening passed without incident. They were much more subdued than the night before, both by nature of the entertainment provided and a tacit agreement among the two of them and Holly, who was still nursing a headache at dinner and excused herself early, that alcohol would be left off the menu for the night. 

Magnus and Lanie turned in early as well, but not before a group of guys about their age wandered over to their table. They had obviously not been abstaining, and Lanie could feel the waves of belligerence coming off of them as they stood with their chests puffed out like a group of cocks trying to impress a hen. 

“You left before the game was finished, Martinsson,” one of them, obviously the leader from the way the rest all circled around him, accused. 

“I had better places to be,” Magnus relied dismissively with a thin smile, draping his arm around Lanie’s shoulders and pulling her against his side. 

The other man looked at the group as if drawing strength from his cohorts and tried again. 

“I didn’t much like the way you talked to me,” he said, posturing. 

“Well I don’t much like you tie,” Magnus smirked, eyebrow raised at the paisley monstrosity around his neck. “So why don’t we just call it even.”

There was some snickering from the other men - the tie was really an affront - until their leader snarled them into silence. 

“Perhaps you’d like to settle this right now,” the dark haired man spat out. 

“Don’t be more of an ass than you absolutely must, Leland” Magnus answered him, eyes rolling. “Now, I am trying to enjoy the music with Miss Greyson, so if you don’t mind?”

”Hiding behind a woman’s skirts, are you, Martinsson?” a chinless man behind him taunted.

”Afraid to look bad in front of you piece of ass?” another asked, leering at Lanie in a way that made her press closer to Magnus’ side.

”Don’t worry, honey,” the one named Leland said, eyeing Lanie up and down in the most insulting way imaginable, “he’s not the only game in town. I’d be more than happy to fuck you rough and dirty. That’s how you like it, I hear. I’ll plow you so hard you won’t be able to walk for a week. Hell, I’ll do you and you little friend with the pixie cut together if that’s what gets you pleb girls off.”

In an instant Magnus was standing, hand balled into a fist. Lanie, face flushed from the disrespect, stood with him, grabbing his arm to keep him from lunging at his for as a chorus of “oohs” arose from the surrounding group. 

They were attracting quite a bit of attention now, and she could tell Magnus was struggling to keep his temper in check. His nostrils flared and his jaw was clench tight as her fingers dug into his arm.

”Apologize to the lady,” he seethed from between his teeth. 

“Sorry,” the other said smugly. “I apologize you’re not with a man who can satisfy you.”

The statement was so absurd, so patently untrue, that Lanie found herself fighting to stifle a giggle. She would gladly have laughed in the man’s face, of course, but she didn’t think Magnus was in a state to see the humor.

“So what do you say, Martinsson? Care to settle this like men?”

"What seems to be the problem here?" Haas asked, stepping up to the group oozing fake charm. "Hope you're not making a scene, Detective Martinsson."

"Erik, no!" Lanie insisted, looking at all the angry faces surrounding her. "These other... men started it. Magnus was just defending me."

"This lowlife scum," Magnus spat out, eyes never leaving Leland's face, "had the gall to insult Miss Greyson and Miss West."

"Indeed?" Erik's voice suddenly dipped to icicle territory. "Leland, is this true? Have you been insulting my employees?"

"I was insulting Martinsson," Leland replied petulantly. "It's not my fault if his little friend is embarrassed that he's not man enough for her."

"I see. Detective Martinsson," Haas turned to Magnus, hand running over the large bruise on his face, "I am devoutly sorry that I can not allow you to pummel Leland here to a pulp the way he deserves. However, if you would allow me to make an alternative suggestion?"

"What?" Magnus asked in clipped tones.

"Tomorrow afternoon we will be having games of skill on the great lawn. Along with lesser events, teams of two will be competing for the grand prize of the day. Now, while it would not be nearly as satisfying as beating the shit out of him, perhaps you would join me in making up a team to take on Leland and whichever of his lackeys has the stones to team with him. I am sure between the two of us we can succeed in leaving him bruised in both body and ego by the end of the day."

Lanie looked from Haas to Magnus and back again, jaw on the ground. She knew the events, she had help decide them. Rowing, archery, tug-of-war, and, added against her wishes, boxing. It would indeed give the men a chance to work out their aggressions, but also chance them injuring themselves.

"He's all talk," the chinless man guffawed, "look at him, he won't do it."

"Haas," Magnus turned to Lanie's boss, "you've got yourself a partner."


	30. Games People Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus competes to defend Lanie's honor. Will he rise to the occasion?

"Do you know how to handle boats?" Haas asked him by way of greeting, walking over to where Magnus and Lanie stood, not talking, in the crisp morning air.

"I rowed crew at Uni," Magnus replied with an easy grin.

"Of course you did," Haas sighed, rolling his eyes. "Well, I suppose that's good for us."

In truth, Magnus had always been an athlete, playing tennis and rugby and running track in addition to rowing. He liked to stay fit, and it gave him a place to channel his energy, especially before he had discovered his way with the ladies.

He could use a place to channel some energy now, he thought, scowling. Lanie had not been pleased by the turn of events that were taking place. He had thought moving from a flat out fight to a contest of skill would satisfy her, but she was stubbornly refusing to admit that sometimes a bully had to be knocked down hard so that he would think twice about harassing someone else. Magnus was more than happy to be the one to knock this particular bully into a pulp. The idea that he might be the one to end up in a bloody pile at the end of the day he found frankly insulting.

They had their first flat out argument back in their room, with Lanie insisting she could fight her own battles and didn't need him to protect her. He thought she was being unreasonable, and had not shied away from telling her so. In the end, she had climbed into bed in a pair of his shorts and a tshirt, stating that they should go to sleep since he would need all of his energy the next day. His jaw dropped as he realized that she was serious, and he grumpily resigned himself to trying to fall asleep next to her bewitching body without being able to enjoy it first. Yes they had coupled several times already that day, but that was not the point! He needed her with an ache that was visceral.

It was the same in the morning, when he awoke to the unheard of occurrence of Lanie already dressed and brushing her hair. He had glared at her, trying to decide how she would react if he simply grabbed her and yanked her back into bed. She had accused him of being a caveman last night, perhaps he should show her what one was really like. In the end, of course, he was far too respectful of women in general and  _his woman_ in particular to do any such thing, and resigned himself to stroking off to the sight of her in the pretty blue dress she had donned for the day. From the way her eyes kept returning as if of their own volition to his hand steadily working over his hard cock, he could tell he was not the only one finding the lack of intimate contact difficult. When he finally came in his hand with a dissatisfied grunt, he had the satisfaction of watching her tongue flick across her lips instinctively and groaned at the sight.

"You could come over here and lick me off like a good kitten," he suggested, enjoying her blush at having been caught.

"You could decide not to participate in a barbaric punching match like a good boyfriend," she said in reply. 

There had been very little talking since.

"I am actually most concerned about the archery," Magnus told Haas, thinking over their slate of events. "It's not something I ever really practiced. My aim with a gun or darts is good but a bow..."

"Fortunately for us," Haas smiled thinly, "my aim is impeccable. I am relieved, detective, that there is at least something you are not adept at. Why don't you let me handle the archery, especially as I assume you and Leland will wish to face off for the boxing. I know first hand that you can throw a punch. I will gladly fight whoever his second is."

"Oh yes," Magnus' smile was vicious. "I cannot wait to get in the ring with that slime."

He heard Lanie mutter something under her breath and storm over to sit next to Holly at one of the tables that had been set up in the shade to watch the competitors. 

"Problems?" Haas asked mildly.

"Let's just say not all the events are to her liking," Magnus shrugged, not wanting to get into his personal affairs with the other man.

"Ah, yes. I seem to recall her lobbying against the boxing, but some of the donors, women especially, like seeing men beat each other bloody. And I try to give everyone a taste of what they want."

The first event was the boat race. The craft that they were to row was small for Magnus' large size, he found the oarlocks made his arms bend at an uncomfortable angle.

"This is not ideal," Haas observed, grimacing. "Leland and Sven rowed together on a team for their school, and still do at the club. Well, nothing to be done about it now."

It was not the best of beginnings. Considering the fact that Magnus and Haas had never rowed together, they did remarkably well, managing to beat every team except Leland and Sven, but the other men still managed to just edge them out to the finish line. Magnus was cursing himself internally as they rowed back over to the shore, trying to ignore the smug expressions on their opponents faces while the spectators clapped for them all. Everyone knew about the challenge, of course, and there was an air of excitement to the proceedings. The fact that they had lost the first event did not sit well with him.

Archery was next, his weakest skill of the quartet. It turned out, however, that he was not as poor a shot as he had feared. After the first heat, he and Haas were both advanced to the next round. Leland was as well, but his bulky friend did not fare so well. Magnus smiled as the block of a man threw down his bow in anger and stomped on it, breaking the wood. Also advancing were one other man and two ladies. And Sonja. He should have known that she would be good at the deadly sport. The smile that she gave him as took her place on the target line next to him made him want to shower. When she then turned slowly and gave Leland a long kiss, murmuring good luck when she was finished, the feeling was doubled. He knew she would have no real interest in the man, though of course they would have had sex at some point in their past. She just wanted to show her disdain for Magnus and Lanie. That was fine with him, he had no desire for her approval.

Haas was indeed an excellent shot, just as he had claimed. He had known from playing darts with the man that he had aim, and apparently the arrow was his missile of choice. Magnus was able to keep up for the next round when the targets were moved back, but on the third volley his arrow went just shy of the bullseye, landing in the next ring out. Fortunately, Leland's did as well, along with most of the others. It was down to Haas and Sonja for the final volley, and his host managed to just eke out a win by the width of an arrow head. Sonja pretended to take it in good grace, but Magnus knew she did not like to lose. He smiled widely at her and she stormed off in a huff, muttering under her breath.

"She wasn't too happy, was she?" Haas asked, smirking after her. "As a good host, I should probably have let her win, but I am a bit put out at her for upsetting Lanie that first night. And we are trying to prove a point today."

"Upset with her?" Magnus looked at him with disbelief. "You've been trying to break Lanie and I up the whole time!"

"Well, yes... but I would not hurt her to do it."

"Just me," Magnus suggested.

"Exactly," Erik agreed. "Come, the tests of skill are over. Time for brute strength."

This was more the part that Magnus had been looking forward to. It turned out that no one else was electing to participate in the tug of war, everyone instead interested to see what would happen between the challenged teams. Leland's partner was an ox of a man, broad shouldered and beefy. He anchored their side of the rope like a tree trunk. Leland himself was obviously no weakling. Magnus had taken him by surprise yesterday in the billiard hall, he would be ready today.

He had the feeling that Lanie was supposed to be the one to start the contestants, but as she was still sulking it was Holly who came forward. Giving a scowl towards Leland and Sven, then a saucy wink to Magnus and Haas, she gave the signal and jumped back as the men began to pull. Good lord, but the man on the other end of the rope was strong! Magnus could feel the chords in his arms strain as he dug his heels into the muddy earth and pulled with all of his might. Erik, veins standing out in his neck in front of Magnus, was giving it his all as well. Say what he would, Magnus could not deny that Lanie's boss was taking the slight to her seriously. Slowly, ever so slowly, the rope began to move in their direction. As the faces of all four men turned various shades of red, Magnus took a step back, feeling an overwhelming sense of accomplishment as he did so. The next step was even sweeter, as Leland inched inexorably closer to the puddle of mud in the center. One more step and they would have it. Hands tearing up from the coarse fiber of the rope, arm muscles screaming out with the pain, Magnus gave one final tug and the opposite team tipped forward to land with a splash in the mud. He had never heard such a sweet squelching noise in his life.

"Well," Holly said, coming up to give each of them a sweaty hug, "that was entertaining! Don't you think so, Lanie?"

Lanie was fighting hard to keep a smile off her face, but as Leland stood and began to curse out his block of a partner the corners of her mouth tilted up and she gave a little staccato laugh.

"That's my girl!" Magnus grinned, going over to wrap his grimy arms around her.

"Don't let him mess up your face, darling," she whispered into his ear, "it's the only reason I'm dating you besides your curls!"

Magnus laughed exuberantly, glad that she seemed to be over her pique, and planted a sloppy opened mouth kiss on her lips.

"As soon as this is over, lovely," he told her in a low voice, "you and I are going someplace so that I can have my way with you. Making me sleep next to you without access to your sweet cunt is cruel and unusual punishment."

"Whatever you say, detective," she smiled, biting her lip adorably.

"Alright, Leland," he called out, one arm draped around her shoulders. "No need to go through the formality of making Haas and Sven fight, why don't you and I get straight to it."

"I heartily approve of that," Erik said, looking at the hulking Sven.

"Oh, no, Martinsson," Leland said with a sneer. "I'm not fighting you. That's why I have Sven."

"But the whole idea," Magnus began.

"Is that I get to watch you beaten bloody," Leland finished for him. "Do you really think I'm such an idiot as to try and do it myself? Sven here is fighting champ at his club, four years running. I hope your little whore isn't too fond of your pretty face, she's not going to be seeing it for some time."

***

Lanie was not amused. While she did admit that settling a score via the games planned for the day was a far sight better than the general brawl that had almost broken out last night, she still did not particularly fancy the archaic idea of Magnus and Erik, of all people, fighting to defend her honor. And she was under no illusions that it would be a fight. Yes, there was no risk in the two-man events - rowing and tug-of-war - beyond to the men’s pride, and she doubted any of them would actually shoot one another with an arrow, but the boxing... it was going to be brutal. While not as tall as Magnus, Leland was much more broadly built and out weighed her boy by quite a bit. She did not doubt for a moment that it would be Magnus and Leland in the boxing ring. That was the whole point of this challenge, to give themselves the opportunity to pummel each other in a “gentlemanly” way. Gentlemen, she decided, were fundamentally stupid. 

Going a good way towards proving her point, Magnus could not understand why she was upset when they retired to his room. 

“I can defend myself, Magnus,” she had huffed when he simply stared at her in question. 

“I know that,” he insisted. “That’s not the point.”

”That is the point! The only reason he said anything about me was to goad you, and you let him do it!”

”This whole thing started because he said things about you. Earlier, in the billiard room. He was bragging about how he was going to get you alone and rape you, Lanie!”

”Well, that’s unarguably dreadful,” she admitted, shuddering. “But considering you are not letting me out of your sight, the chance of that happening are slim to none.”

”None,” he growled. “There is no chance of that happening. If so much as looks at you again I will kill him. I swear to god I will."

It had gone down hill rapidly from there.

She was cursing herself hours later as she lay there staring at the ceiling wishing for his hands, his mouth, his body on her. Yes, she was punishing him, but it was punishing her too! How could she be so angry at him and so desperate for him at the same time? It made no proper sense!

The next morning she woke grumpy from lack of sleep and still desperately aroused. Magnus had slept nude, of course, just to instigate her she was sure. Looking at his thrusting cock as he lay asleep she had longed to take it in her mouth and give him the kind of good morning that would set him smiling for the day. She had a point to make, though, and she was not quite ready to concede it. With a last longing look at the sculpted body laid out beside her just asking to be ridden, she climbed moodily out of bed and went down the hall to take a long, cold shower.

Her resolve had almost slipped again when she watched him tend to himself, eyes provactively staring at her as he stroked his length in front of her. He was so damn beautiful, it was profoundly unfair. The sight of him, the little slapping noises he was making, all urged her let go of her irritation and join him on the bed. She was beginning to break down when, with a low noise, he came into his hand with an erotic shower of white. It took everything she had not to suck it off of him, she was that horny from the display.

When they finally stomped down stairs, she had hoped Holly would be some back up for her, but to her annoyance, her friend seemed to find it romantic. Chivalrous, as she said. Lanie didn't think her eyes could roll any further back in her head.

Still, she had to admit that their was something thrilling about watching Magnus compete. She could tell that both he and Haas had a great deal of easy competence in the boat. It was only the established team work of the other two that allowed them to just nose ahead at the end. His concentration with the bow was also a joy to watch. The look of total focus was so intense and attractive, not even Sonja's presence and undeniable skill could dampen her enjoyment. She was glad that Erik beat the snake. Glad Magnus at least equaled Leland and bested the other. She might be angry at her boy, but she could never root against him.

"Morning ladies," Leland said, sauntering over to their table as Mags and Erik were distracted in conversation. She wasn't sure how he managed to make such a benign statement insulting, but he did it. Lanie sniffed and turned her head away.

"You're lucky I wasn't there last night," Holly said sweetly. "I don't have the restraint Lanie does. They would still be trying to remove my stiletto from your balls."

"Well, aren't you the feisty one," Leland smirked. "I'll tell you what, if you're little friend's too stuck up to play, I can roll around in the mud with you instead. I bet you like it dirty too."

Before they could respond he had strolled away, pleasant smile on his face.

"That's it," Lanie snapped, unable to deny the anger boiling in her any longer. "I want Magnus to flatten him."

"Oh, there's my girl!" Holly clapped. "Oh, they need someone to start them. Mind if I..."

"Be my guest," Lanie smiled at her friend.

It was inordinately satisfying to watch Leland and his thuggish friend fly facedown into the mud. Startled by her own sudden thirst for vengeance, Lanie guiltily followed Holly up and over to congratulate their champions. She was feeling a little silly for her over reaction, and was relieved and aroused when Magnus seemed willing to kiss and make up. The day might not end so badly after all. She would even allow herself to enjoy Leland's bloody comeuppance.

It was on that thought that she realized it was not Leland that Magnus would have to fight, but the thug. It was just her imagination, but she could have sworn a cloud passed over the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your lovely comments!
> 
> I am not overly thrilled with this chapter, but hopefully it's not too bad. I promise better next week!


	31. Don't Run From a Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time for Magnus to enter the ring. Will he and Lanie both survive his fight?

Of all the stupid things he had done in his life, Magnus thought this might be the most asinine. Oh, he could try his best to reassure Lanie, but the truth was he was about to get pulverized. He had absolutely no illusions on that front.

The man looked like an ox. It would have been amusing if it wasn’t going to be so painful. Magnus was in excellent shape, and worked hard to maintain his stamina and flexibility (both came in handy in certain extracurricular activities, he had noticed) but his opponent was a trained boxer. The best Magnus could hope for was to keep out of his reach and run out the clock with as little damage as possible.

He allowed himself to grin at the encouragement from his cheering section - the ladies he had charmed yesterday on the tour were definitely on his side. He tried to give his girl the most optimistic smile possible and stepped onto the roped off square mat that would act as the ring. The site of his sacrificial offering, he thought with hilarity he was self aware enough to recognize as blind panic in disguise.

He didn’t really hear the instructions drones out. It was highly unlikely in his view that the other man had any intention of following the rules. They tapped their gloves together in a mockery of a handshake, and it was on.

From the beginning his strategy was clear: stay as far out of the other man’s reach as possible. Let people call him a coward, he didn’t have any other edge that he could think of. It worked well at first. He could here his for cursing under his breath as Magnus danced away from his heavy fists. Maybe he could tire him out and take advantage of that. The strategy bore fruit as he pulled one punch and then followed up by popping the man in his nose. The blood that gushed forth was tremendously satisfying, and he allowed a grin to flash at the site.

It was a short lived victory though, as with a growl the man launched himself across the ring and landed a punishing blow to Magnus’ jaw, sending him reeling. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lanie turn away. He couldn’t really blame her, he wished he could look somewhere else himself. 

It seemed to go on forever. Magnus got a few good hits in, but he didn’t think he was doing much damage really. He, on the other hand, was having a hard time drawing breath due to an ache in his right side, and he would definitely be sporting a black eye and a swollen jaw for the foreseeable future.

”Not so pretty now, are you?” Leland called from outside the ring.

Magnus growled at the taunt. That was the man he wanted to be fighting. He had no real issue with the man faced now beyond his appalling taste in friends. Plus he was arrogantly confident he would have already sent Leland to the mat by this point.

”You shut your filthy mouth!” Heidi yelled back at Leland. “That boy would be prettier than you with his full face in a cast. Now come on, Martinsson, I’ve got a hefty sum riding on you!”

Magnus laughed, wincing from the pain it caused as he did so, and nodded in the general direction of Heidi. He was growing more and more fond of the brassy old broad. If she was not already acquainted with his mother, he would have to introduce them. Oh, Mother would gasp and wince at some of the woman’s remarks, but Magnus knew that secretly she would love them. 

As he dances away again from his giant of an opponent, Magnus’ eyes did a sweep of the ring. It was something that came naturally to him; part of his detective training. As he did so, a splash of red caught his eye. There, behind the grunting beast, was a bright pool of blood. It must have been from the initial blow to the nose, he thought. Maybe... it was just possible...

Increasing his sped, Magnus began a rapid fire of quick jabs. The energy it took was staggering, and he was going to have very little breath left in him if he failed. On the other hand, if he didn’t do something soon it wouldn’t matter how much breath he had. He would be laid out on the ground unconscious.

As he bobbed and weaved, he led his hulking foe backwards to just the spot he wanted him, then zagged to the left. Following him with a ferocious snarl, the man’s foot landed in the pool of blood and he went skidding to his side, arms flailing. It was just the opening Magnus needed. Summoning all the power he had left, he drew back his arm and aimed a massive blow at the teetering man’s head.

It was with an air of disbelief that he watched the ogre sink to the mat, eyes rolling back in his head as he crumpled. He had done it! He had felled the beast!

After a prolonged, silent pause, the seated spectators leapt to their feet, roaring in approval. Magnus smiled, just before falling down himself.

 

 ***

 

She didn’t think she could bring herself to watch. A part of Lanie told her that she needed to try, to bear witness and perhaps that way share in and alleviate the pain that Magnus was surely about to go through, but the larger part of her shuddered in horror at what her lover, her love, was about to face.

The other man was a monster, there was no getting around it. As they both stripped down to track shorts and trainers, Lanie felt her heart plummet to her toes. Magnus, of course, looked like a carved statue of a God. The appreciative murmur that rose as he peeled off his tee brought a cocky smirk to his face, and he looked over to wink at Lanie as though he had not a care in the world. Then his opponent, not remotely handsome, stripped down to reveal a physique of hulking muscles. It was like looking a sleek cat and then seeing the Rottweiler it was about to do battle with. 

She had joked about him keeping his angelic face protected when she thought he was to face off with the loathed Leland. While she did indeed find his looks divine, she was much more worried about serious injuries now. Surely they would not be allowed to truly harm each other? But then, who was to stop them? Magnus and Haas had humiliated their foes in the tug-of-war, sending them sprawling into the mud. The snarling bruiser did not look like he was one to forgive and forget.

She smiled tremulously at Magnus, and stood on her tiptoes to give him a long, lingering kiss. He gave her one of his cocksure grins as he finally let her up for air.

”Don’t worry, lovely,” he whispered to her. “It’s not all weight that matters. I’ve got half a foot reach on the gorilla, and can no doubt move faster as well. I promise to survive to torture you some more. After all, I believe I promised you a punishment, and what sort of man would I be if I didn’t keep my word.”

She tried to laugh, but it came out more like a sob to her own ears. With one last kiss to the top of her head, Magnus stepped in to the ring that had been specially erected for this event. 

An older gentleman stepped forward excitedly to announce the rules of the bout, but she was too anxious to really listen. Who, after all, was their to enforce them?

As Magnus and the other man circled each other, throwing out testing swings, she was able to spare a moment to admire the way the muscles moved under his bare skin. Lord, buy he was beautiful! All grace and poise opposite the human equivalent of a steamroller facing off with him.

He managed to draw first blood, feinting left then jabbing the big man’s nose with a quick right. The crowd cheered, Magnus obviously had most of them eating of his hand, and his answering grin was blinding. It made it all the worse when the larger managed to move in quicker than she had thought one of his bullish size could and knocked Mags square in his perfect jaw.

Lanie turned away. She couldn’t. She simply could not watch this. She had never enjoyed any sort of violence as entertainment. The fact that the person most dear to her was likely to be the recipient made it just that much worse. 

Hearing the gasp and cheers of the crowd only proved that much worse, and she began drifting away from the match. Trying to block out the ringing in her ears, Lanie concentrated on her breathing. There was a looming panic attack, she knew, that she was just barely holding at bay. This was how it always seemed to be for her. When the danger was to herself, she could blithely shrug it off, but let something threaten a person she cared about and the panic became a bit overwhelming. 

Looking up, Lanie realized she had walked further than she intended, entering into the tree line. The shade felt good against her overheated skin, and she leaned against a thick tree trunk as she sighed in relief. She would just stay here for a few minutes, she told herself. Just long enough to get her emotions under control, and then she return and give Magnus all the support she could. 

A noise from a short distance off caught her attention. Curious at who else would be out here missing all the excitement, she turned and saw a two bodies, one slim one not, approaching through the trees from the opposite direction. 

“You are sure?” Asked a voice she recognized in shock. “He’s police?”

”Undoubtedly,” another familiar voice responded. “No doubt working with the Detective and that meddlesome girl. Don’t worry, though. He’s all tied up and hidden away in the charcoal shed.”

”I’d rather have the tall handsome one tied up in the shed,” the first one laughed. “I do hope we don’t have to do anything unpleasant to him. It would be such a waste!”

Lanie’s blood ran cold as she realized what she was hearing. These two? They were the culprits? It was not possible! Making herself as still as possible she pressed against the tree, hoping they would pass by without noticing her. 

She should have known better. Should have known that nothing ever escapes the eagle like gaze that turned unerringly to stare at her. 

“Well,” said a cold, soft voice. “Look who’s out snooping. I fear you have about outlived your usefulness.”

”Sorry, love,” the second said, raising an arm to shocking aim a gun at Lanie’s head. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us. Can’t have you spilling our secrets. If you are a very good girl, I might be able to keep you alive. You go on, I’ll take her back and tie her up with the other.”

Lanie, hands raised and eyes wide, nodded quickly. Gun pressed to her side, she allowed herself to be led away. 

***

 


	32. Kidnapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lanie discovers the identity of her captors while Magnus discovers her disappearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a few extra days - I am posting this from my sick bed!

Lanie stewed indignantly as she was tied to a chair. The small shack was dim and stuffy inside with the windows boarded over. A second chair was currently the prison of an unconscious handsome young bartender from the catering staff. Or perhaps not. From the conversation she had overheard, it seemed the bound and gagged man was another undercover officer. She would have to have words with Magnus about his keeping secrets from her. Assuming, of course, she ever saw him again.

Swallowing the panic rising within her, Lanie looked pleadingly at the matronly woman with the motherly smile holding the gun at her head.

"Gita, Please," she begged Hass’ housekeeper, "you don't have to do this!"

"Oh, I'm afraid I do, deary," the plump woman sighed. "Agnes was right, we can't have any loose ends tripping us up. I am sorry though. I've always liked you, Lanie love. Hopefully we can avoid the worst case scenario, hm? Just behave yourself so that the Dragon Lady doesn't have cause to breath her fire. I'll be honest, the woman scares the life out of me!"

"Then why did you let her talk you into this?" Lanie seized on the opening.

"Oh, no sweetie," the housekeeper said laughing. "This whole thing was my idea. I had to talk pretty quickly to get Agnes to help me."

"But why?" Lanie asked, perplexed. The domestic and the receptionist were the least likely co-conspirators she could imagine.

"Because we are tired of always being over looked!" her voice hardened. "Tired of scraping together enough to just get by, while little Lord New Money promotes pretty young things like yourself to positions of wealth and power. It's a rule of nature you best prepare yourself for my dear. Never mind that I almost singlehandedly run this estate, or that Agnes keeps his business secure, once a woman has the bad luck to fall onto the wrong side of forty, she may as well become invisible.”

Lanie could empathize with her captive. She was sure that it could not be easy, doing all the work and getting none of the reward. Still, while she wished things had been fairer to the ladies, their reaction was far too extreme.

”So you decided to steal from him to get back at him?” She asked, piecing it together. 

“From him, from his clients, from the horrible guests he invites every year into the home I run... Can you honestly tell me you would weep to see some of those rich louses impoverished?”

”No...” she replied, thinking of the group of men surrounding her and Magnus last night, of Sonja and her horrible father. “But Gita, you killed someone!”

”That was unfortunate,” the housekeeper sighed. “Just as it will be unfortunate if we have to kill you or either of the policemen. But it couldn’t be helped. He caught me in the server room when I was bugging the mainframe. Agnes is sharp when it comes to cell phones - she’s gotten a wealth of information for us from the devices she confiscates - but she didn’t know about more complex computer systems. I had to come in to the city and do that part. I should have waited until everyone had cleared out, but I got impatient. I didn’t shoot you though, deary! And I could have. Should have, Agnes would say. I could have sworn you saw me where I was crouching behind the server tower. I had you in my sight, gun cocked and ready, but then you just turned away and ran.”

Lanie could not believe how casually this sweet old lady was talking about killing her! Really, she was beginning to think Gita was insane. Her suspicion was confirmed when the older woman began giggling like a school girl.

”You should be thanking me, really,” she told her. “If it wasn’t for me, you never would have met you strapping you long man! Oh, I know, we’re supposed to believe you just happened to meet him out at a bar the night after reporting the incident. But honestly, only a simpleton would accept that level of coincidence. You may have fooled Haas, but I never bought it for a moment. Tell me, deary, one girl to another, is he as good as he looks?”

Lanie gaped at her. She certainly wasn’t going to discuss her sex life while tied to a chair with a gun to her head!

”What happens to me now?” She asked instead, dreading the answer.

”Well, that depends on a few different things,” Gita said. “By the time the party breaks up tomorrow, Agnes and I should have all the personal and financial account information for everyone here. The security system that Eric has set up for the estate was quite difficult to hack into, but I managed it. So, once the funds are transferred from their accounts into ours, Agnes will be on a fast flight to a tropical island with no extradition treaty. If you stay where you are and don’t make any trouble, we will leave you be. Someone should find you eventually and untie you. If, however, you prove a nuisance, we will have no choice but to eliminate you. So be a good girl and behave!”

”Magnus will be looking for me,” Lanie said desperately, as the other woman began wrapping a scarf around her head, covering her mouth. 

“Are you certain about that?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. “Last I heard he was about to fight a monster. I would doubt he will be up and about for a while, if he hasn’t already been taken to the hospital.  Now, I have to go check on the guests. You just stay here and get some rest.”

With a parting smile, Agnes swept out of the room. To her horror, Lanie heard the noise of a padlock being snapped into place on the outside of the door. She was trapped. 

***

Magnus woke to various levels of pain throughout his entire body. His head was the worst, of course, particularly around his jaw, but his ribs and his side were throbbing as well. 

He lying down on a bed, and it seemed someone had tended to him. There was tight tape wrapped around his torso, and an ice pack was currently sitting on top of his eye. With a wince of pain, he made himself open his one good eye and slowly came to the realization that he was in the room that had originally been assigned to Lanie. Trying to remain as still as possible, he gingerly looked around the room, hoping for a sight of his girl. Surely her worried but bravely smiling face was the best medicine he could hope for. But instead of Lanie, he was greeted to an anxious looking Holly and a shifting Haas staring at him.

”You’re awake!” Holly gasped in relief, running over and just barely remembering his condition in time to awkwardly stop herself from hugging him.

”So it appears,” he mumbled, fighting against the pain. “Lanie? Where?”

”We were so worried when you passed out,” the girl said with false energy. “We didn’t know if you were seriously injured. Luckily, Erik had invited a boat load of doctors to this thing - well, they do make money after all! A couple of them, all female might I add, rushed over to examine you, and they agreed that most of your wounds appeared superficial. A couple bruised ribs and a mild concussion should be the worst of it.”

Magnus stared with his one eye at the babbling girl, trying to force his mind to work properly. Lanie was not here, and her friend was acting extremely unnatural. Something was wrong. An alarming spark of panic lit up in his chest.

“Lanie. Where?” He asked again, looking at Haas this time.”

”That’s just the problem, I’m afraid,” the other man looked truly upset. “We haven’t been able to find her since the fight ended.”

With a gasp that was half terror and half pain, Magnus pulled himself into a sitting position, tossing aside the ice pack that slid down his face. 

“How long?” He growled, swinging his legs around to sit, clad in only his boxers which he was errantly thankful he had put on that day, on the side of the bed. 

“A little over five hours,” Haas told him as Holly muffled a sob and turned away. “We looked for her when you collapsed, but she wasn’t there. Holly said she noticed her walking off during the bout.”

”I’m so sorry,” Holly choked out. “I should have stopped her. I figured she just didn’t want to see you get hurt and, well, who could blame her? It never occurred to me she would wander far or... or...”

The girl trailed off as Haas took her into his arms and tried to calm her down. As furious and horrified as Magnus felt he could hardly blame Holly. He himself had been attempting for over a week now to get Lanie to stay safe and she steadfastly refused to think of her own welfare. It was his job to protect her, not Holly’s. Anne-Britt would be well within her rights to kill him if anything had happened to the previous girl. 

“Not your fault,” he told her awkwardly. “Haas, did you plan this? The challenge was your idea. Did you arrange it to distract me so you could get your hands on her?”

Glaring at him over Holly’s head, Haas curled his lip and all but snarled. 

“Do you really think me capable of that?0 he hissed at Magnus. 

“No,” Magnus sighed, hating that it was true. “I doubt I’ll ever like you, and I loath your interest in Lanie, but I don’t think you kidnapped her. I almost wish you had. If it was you, I at least could believe you wouldn’t hurt her.”

”We have the entire staff searching the grounds,” Erik told him, nodding. “I thought it best to confine the guests to the main house, as one of them could very well be involved.”

”Who is leading the search?” It made it barely more tolerable, slipping into work mode. He could almost convince himself it was not the woman he loved out there at the mercy of a killer. Almost. 

“My housekeeper, Gita,” Haas replied. “She is highly efficient and knows every speck of the property, even better than I do. She also had always had a fondness for Lanie, so she insisted on organizing the hunt.”

”My phone,” Magnus said curtly. 

Holly jumped and ran over to the chair where his clothes lay folded neatly. Digging into his pocket she retrieved his cell and handed it over to him with trembling hands. The fact that she did not take the opportunity to ogle his mostly naked form spoke volumes of her distress.

Opening his phone, Magnus scrolled through looking for a text from Sian. He had been so distracted with the challenge he had forgotten the other cop was expected to get in touch with him about the suspicious shack he had stumbled upon. Not a single text showed on his log. 

“There was a bartender,” he said, looking at a Haas. “Brown hair, shortish, broad shoulders. Have you seen him today?”

”I honestly have no idea,” Haas looked blank. 

“He hasn’t been around since last night,” Holly said unexpected as both men turned to look at her. “What? He’s cute. I mean, not you cute, but then who is? Why he’s not a suspect is he?”

”He’s a cop,” Magnus told her tersely. Under other circumstances he would be amused, but nothing about this was amusing. “He was supposed to report to me last night or this morning, but never did. He said something about a small shack on the outskirts of the property. Boarded up. Haas, do you know what he meant?”

”I do,” Haas said with a nod. “You think she might be there?”

”It’s a shot,” Magnus shrugged. “Be a pal and toss me my clothes, Holly.”

”You’re not going in your condition, are you?” Holly fretted, nonetheless handing him his shorts and tee. 

“Damn right I am,” he grunted as he pulled on his clothes. “And whoever has her better pray to all the gods in history she is safe and unharmed.”

”I’m coming with you,” Haas insisted. Magnus hesitated only briefly before nodding in agreement.

“I am too,” Holly insisted.

“Absolutely not,” Magnus said at the same time Haas spoke his refusal.

“Hello, sexist much?” Holly snapped at them. “I know people think I’m flighty, but Lanie is my best friend and I am going to help. Also, I just happen to be a crack shot and a registered black belt.”

As the two men gaped at her Holly smiled in satisfaction.

”I grew up on a farm,” she explained with a shrug. “We needed to learn how to shoot to keep the wild animals at bay. And any girl with half a brain is going to learn self defense when she moves to a city. I have been trying to convince Lanie to learn for years.”

”When we find her,” Magnus said, giving the girl a quick hug, “we are not going to give her a choice in the matter. Haas, do you keep any guns?”

”Hunting rifles,” he nodded reluctantly.

”Good. Holly, go change your shoes to something at least slightly less ridiculous. Haas, grab the rifles. We meet in the foyer in five minutes.”

As his comrades nodded and scurried off on their assigned tasks Magnus drew a deep, painful breath. She would be alright. She had to be. And when he was sure that not a single hair on her head had been harmed, he was going to take great pleasure in making her beg for mercy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think of our killers? Did anyone suspect? Hope you enjoyed!!!


	33. To the Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus rushes to save his darling girl. Will he pull it off?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit. Hope you like it!

He was feeling decidedly woozy as met Haas and Holly. Ruthlessly pushing down the pain and nausea that threatened to overwhelm him, he could not resist a smile as he looked at Holly. She had obviously decided that her pajamas were more practical than any of her flirty outfits, and had changed into green and black fleece pants and a Loki T-shirt. 

“Laugh at me and as soon as we find out girl I will give you the ass-whooping of your life,” she threatened, accepting a rifle from Haas and cocking it with alarming competency.

”I wouldn’t dare,” he smiled. “I just would have pegged you more as a Cap fan.”

”I see no reason to choose,” she smiled. “Shall we?”

”Haas, lead the way,” he nodded.

It was a painfully long walk to the outskirts of the property. To his humiliation Magnus even had to call a brief halt to rest when they got as far as the gazebo. He hates wasting so much as a minute, but at the same time if he pushed himself too fast he would be no good to anyone when they got there. Sitting on the bench where he had just the day before shared such an intimate experience with Lanie brought unaccustomed tears threatening his eyes. They were going to find her, he insisted silently to himself. They were going to find her and she was going to be alright, because he didn’t know what he would do if she wasn’t.

When they finally arrived at the boarded up shack, he began to wonder if his instincts had been thrown off by the pain he was under. The door was closed with an old, rusty padlock and the one small window had been completely boarded over. Not a sound could be heard from inside. The whole thing gave the appearance of having been abandoned for years. 

“I don’t suppose you have the key?” He asked Haas doubtfully. 

“Gita must somewhere,” the billionaire shrugged apologetically, “but I would have no idea where.”

”So much for doing this quietly.”

Pointing his gun at the deadbolt, Magnus squeezes the trigger shot it off. Yanking open the door, he stepped in to the small room and blinked as his eyes tried to adjust to the dark. As the scene was beginning to come into focus, he heard the distinct click of a handgun being cocked.

"Drop the weapon, detective," a crisp voice said from inside, "or your girlfriend is going to get very messy."

As the occupants came into view, Magnus saw Lanie, his darling girl, bound to a chair, gag in her mouth, and pistol crammed against her temple. Her eyes stared wide and terrified at him, holding silent plea. It was as though his heart stopped beating and a pain far more bruising then the physical damage his body had taken earlier overcame him. Not hesitating a moment he put the safety back on his gun and carefully set it on the ground. His eyes left his love's face to finally look at the monster who held her at gunpoint and stared in disbelief at Agnes, the chatty receptionist from Haas' building. She looked as perfectly put together as ever, from her manicured nails to her well coifed head. The only thing different was the look of smug determination on her face.

"I would tell you two to drop your guns as well," a sweet voice said from outside, "but you don't really think I gave you weapons with live rounds, do you? All the same, I suppose you should put them on the ground. Wouldn't do to leave you clubs now that I think of it."

Magnus looked over his shoulder quickly to see the motherly housekeeper brandishing a rifle similar to those Haas and Holly were reluctantly lowering to the ground. Had the world turned upside down? Haas' two most loyal servants, by all appearances, were the architects of all of this?

"Don't look so shocked, detective," Agnes purred, giving him the flirtatious smile he remembered from his conversations with her. "Who do you think really runs the day to day of his empire, after all. You want something done right, don't trust one of these flighty young things to pull the strings, go with maturity. We could teach you a thing or two."

"So it seems," he smiled queasily, still painfully aware of the gun to Lanie's head. "I tip my hat to you ladies."

"And ours to you as well," she simpered. "It takes quite a bit of determination to keep going as battered as you look. In fact, I have a proposition for you, if you're interested..."

"And what would that be?" he played along, flashing her as good of a grin as he could manage with his battered face.

"Well, Gita and I are about to become very,  _very_ wealthy women. My nephew Sven, you remember, the one who intercepted those obscene photos of your little cupcake here? He's set up a tidy little offshore nest for us to retire to. White sand beaches, umbrella cocktails, no extradition treaty... you know the kind of place. But we will be in need of someone to see to our... security. I would think a strapping young man like yourself would be perfect for the job. I guarantee that you would be very well compensated for all of your efforts. What do you say? Interested?"

"I don't know," he laughed, stalling for time. "I'd have to think about it. I have to admit, a cop's wages are rather meager. Still, I couldn't just abandon Miss Greyson. It wouldn't be gentlemanly of me."

"She'll get over it," Agnes snapped, sneering at Lanie.

"Only if she's alive to do so," he pointed out. "I did make a promise to keep her safe, and I always keep my word. If I didn't, what good would I be to you?"

"Don't be a fool, Agnes," Gita huffed, herding Eric and Holly in the door. "He's just stalling for time. Do you really think a young lothario like him is going to be satisfied playing nursemaid to two old broads like us?"

"Speak for yourself!" Agnes shot back at her compatriot. "You might be all dried up, by I still have needs, and that boy could fill many of them."

"So gross," Holly muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up, you little tramp!" Agnes seethed, turning her gun to point it at Holly.

It was all Magnus needed. As soon as Agnes' attention was turned away, his eyes caught Lanie's and he motioned hard to the left, towards her capture. Understanding instantly what he intended, his brilliant girl rocked her chair hard, crashing into Agnes. As the older woman fired wildly, Magnus leapt to tackle her, pinning her down on the floor and wrenching the pistol out of her hand.

As Agnes' wild shot rang out, Holly had not been idle. True to her word, she was every bit the fighter she claimed. In the time it took Magnus to have Agnes disarmed and on the ground, Holly had kicked out with one flying leg and connected her heel to Gita's sternum. The older woman let out an oomph and doubled over, allowing Haas to grab the rifle with one had and train it on his erstwhile housekeeper. It was all over so quickly, they hardly had time to register the muffled cry from Sian, tied to a chair on the far side of the room, who was quickly loosing blood from the bullet wound in his right shoulder.

"Oh my god! You've been hit!" Holly shrieked, and ran over to the other policeman.

Making quick work of untying the gag, she wadded it up into a ball and pressed it hard against the wound.

"Mags, mate," Sian said, wincing with pain, "if this is the girl you were talking to me about, I am all in!"

"I thought you might be," he smiled, exhaustedly. "Haas, give me your tie."

Still holding the rifle pointed at Gita with one hand, Haas used the other to undo his neck tie and hand it off to Magnus. When he was satisfied with the bonds securing Agnes' wrists, Magnus was finally able to turn his attention to Lanie. Dropping to his knees in front of her, he gently undid the gag covering her mouth. When he was able to remove it, she worked her mouth for a moment, regaining a normal feel. Trembling a little, her eyes pored over his face, flinching at every scrape and bruise.

"Are you alright?" she asked him, biting her lower lip.

"Am I alright?" he laughed, unable to believe her question. "Your the one who had a gun pointed to her head!"

"But your face..." she said, horror in her voice.

"Well, if you were only with me for my looks, I'm afraid you're going to be out of luck for a while," he chuckled. 

"Oh, don't be a daft idiot," Holly shot at him, "you're still the most deadly attractive man I've ever seen in my life, even with the bruising!"

"Damn, Martinsson," Sian sighed. "Could you for once leave some of the female attention for the rest of us?"

"No worries," Magnus reassured his friend as Holly untied him. "As far as I'm concerned, there is only one woman in the entire world for me. You can take your pick of the rest."

"Oh, please stop," Agnes groaned. "You're making positively ill."

As Holly helped Sian out of his chair, the wounded cop pulled his cuffs out of his inside pocked and snapped them around Gita's wrists.

"I like a man who comes prepared with his own cuffs," Holly flirted, making Sian blush.

"Okay, you two," Magnus laughed, "enough flirting. Do you think you can get these two back, at least as far as the gazebo? Sian, can you manage, or is the shot too bad?"

"I've had worse," his friend shrugged, obviously wanting to impress Holly, but just as obviously not as seriously injured as Magnus has feared. Within a few minutes he, Holly, Haas, and the two treacherous women were headed back the direction of the house.

***

It was over. It was over and no one else had died. The words rang in Lanie's head, even as she watched in disbelief as Gita and Agnes were ushered out of the shack and away from them. The minutes in the darkened shack, waiting with a gun digging in to her head, were the longest Lanie could remember. She had been scared, not so much for herself, but for Magnus. She was half convinced that he would do something foolishly heroic in his attempt to save her and wind up shot. Her mind was full of pictures of him bleeding out on the floor before her.

It was strange; even though she knew he had been in a punishing fight not more than hours before, she had never really thought he would fail to find her. He was smart and determined, and he loved her. She knew it with a certainty that blazed within her. He would come to her rescue, and it was up to her to some how keep him from dying once he did.

In the end, of course, she had been nothing more than a puppet for him, moving when he told her to in an effort to distract the madwoman holding her. Holly, though! Holly had proven all her boasts about martial arts true and then some! Lanie had always secretly thought her friend was exaggerating when she talked about the classes she took and the skill set she had achieved. She would never doubt her again after the impressive ease with which she had taken down an armed assailant.

"You're really alright?" Magnus asked her, looking intently into her eyes with his own puffy, bloodshot blues.

"I am," she assured him with a tremulous smile. "Although I'd be better still if you untied me."

"Oh, I don't think so," he said, giving her a hard look.

"Magnus..." she began.

"Hush!" he ordered.

It was then that she realized they were alone in the cabin, everyone else have long since headed off. Standing up, Magnus pulled the cord to turn on the over head light, then walked over and shut the door firmly before turning to face her, arms across his chest.

"Now, Miss Greyson," he said, stalking slowly closer to her, "what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Thank you?" she ventured, trying a smile.

"Your welcome. Not the question."

"Mags..."

"How many times,  _how many times_ did I beg you not to wander off by yourself?"

"A few..." she admitted, shame faced.

"And yet, what did you do the moment I was distracted?"

"I couldn't watch you be hurt!" she insisted, desperately.

"Answer the question!" he demanded.

"I wandered off," she admitted with a sigh, hanging her head.

"You wandered off," he echoed, nodding his head. "I have tried everything to correct your reckless and dangerous behavior."

"I am so sorry, Mags..."

"I have spanked you, denied you orgasms, proven to you that you belong to me, and yet still! Still you flout my request."

"I didn't mean to..."

"I don't know what else to do, Lanie," he groaned, pulling at his wildly curling hair. "I am at the end of my rope."

This was it, she realized. He had had enough. She should have known it was all too good to be true. That she would find some way the screw up the best relationship she had ever been in. The murderers had been caught, there was no case keeping them bound together. He no longer needed to pretend to date her. He was free to wash his hands of her and who could blame him? She hoped desperately that she could keep from crying until she was alone.

"As far as I can see, there is only one solution," he sighed, shaking his head. "I am sorry for your sake that it has come to this."

"It's okay, Magnus," she told him in a quiet voice. "It's what I deserve."

"Indeed it is," he agreed. "So as soon as we get back to the city from this hell of a trip, you are packing up your things and moving in with Cori and me."

"What?" she squeaked, completely taken aback by the turn of events.

"I thought I was going to loose you, lovely," he told her, tears standing in his good eye. "It was like I was about to loose myself. I don't want to be without you, Lanie, even for a day. Please say you'll agree. If not, I full intend to keep you tied to this chair and torture you until you change your mind."

"Of course I'll move in with you, you ridiculous man," she gasped, tears filling her eyes in turn. 

"Really?" he smiled, blinking fast. "I know it's soon, and people will say we're rushing but..."

"People can say what they like," she interrupted. "Screw them all. I love you. That's all I care about."

"Oh, gods, lovely, I love you too!" he told her, and knelt again to kiss her fiercely, only wincing slightly at the pain to his jaw.

When he risen from her lips, Lanie smiled at him adoringly. He was hers. Her beautiful, angel-faced boy. 

"Magnus," she cooed, batting her eyes.

"Yes love," he said, flashing his cocky grin.

"I do love you, but if you don't untie me this second, I will sic ninja Holly on you as soon as we are back to civilization."

"Fare enough," he laughed, beginning to work on her ropes. "But be warned, your days in bondage are not over. You have a lot to answer for, young lady, and if I were you I get used to the idea of being tied to a bed for a day or three. I intend to teach you a thorough, extended lesson."

Lanie felt the butterflies in her stomach dance at the very thought. She couldn't wait!


	34. Home Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the party is over and Magnus and Lanie can retire home to peace and quiet... right?

Police work, it seemed, was more than simply slapping a pair of handcuffs on the perpetrators and calling it a day. It was ages before Lanie and Magnus were cleared to leave the estate. Even then, to no surprise to Lanie, Magnus refused to go, preferring to stay and supervise, even in his badly beaten state, the initial witness statements of everyone involved, and to wait until the medics had confirmed that Sian would be just fine. She saw in amusement that when the doors to the ambulance that would take him to the nearest emergency room to remove the bullet closed, Holly was sitting with him holding his hand. Good for Holly, she thought, she deserved some attention after what she had done today.

It was dark by the time her curly haired boy finally found her dosing in a parlor and woke her with a kiss. Haas had invited them to stay even though the rest of the party had obviously come to a rather abrupt end, but neither of them had any interest in spending another night. 

"It's very kind of you, Erik," Lanie smiled at him, "but honestly all I want is to sleep in my own bed."

"By which you mean my bed," Magnus corrected, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Still a neanderthal I see," Erik sighed, rolling his eyes at them. "But I suppose I can't blame you after today. Thank you, Detective Martinsson. You saved me and my investors a great deal of money and pain."

"All in the line of duty," Magnus shrugged. "I may not exactly trust you, but you did your part as well. So on behalf of the department, you have our sincere thanks. Just stay away from my girl."

"Magnus," Lanie groaned, then saw him grin as the two men shook hands.

"I saw what you did in the boxing ring, Martinsson," Haas said, "I have no desire to be on the receiving end of that. Consider my suit for the fair Ms. Greyson's hand withdrawn. But if you ever mistreat her, I will be first in line to snatch her up. So treat her right."

"I am here you know," Lanie protested. "Fully functioning human being with autonomy and free will."

"Hush lovely, we're making nice. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"She is a bossy thing, isn't she?" Haas remarked.

"You have no idea," Magnus confided.

Lanie was left staring wordlessly at the two of them as the grinned smugly at each other. Finally, she simply threw her hands in the air and walked out to their car, where Haas' employees had helpfully transported their luggage.

"If you two start going to the club together," she remarked as Magnus jogged out to join her, still grinning, "I may have to rethink this whole relationship."

"Too late," he told her good humoredly. "I have you now, I'm not letting go no matter how hard you struggle. In fact, it might be kind of fun if did. We need to get you a safe word, darling, so that you and I can take this relationship to new and exciting heights."

And just like that, Lanie felt a swelling of desire inside of her. The ease with which he reduced her to a panting trollop would never cease to amaze her. The quickness of his mind, the creativity, the fundamental kindness, the competitive drive, they were all phenomenal turn-ons. And of course it didn't hurt that even covered in cuts and bruises he was still the most handsome man she had ever seen.

She knew he was feeling his wounds when he agreed to let her drive without a fuss. She knew how much he liked to be in control, and it was technically his work vehicle. She was happy that at least this she could do for him, and encouraged him to rest while she navigated their way back to the city. He did finally drift off a bit, after insisting he was wide awake and even singing along to the radio for a bit to prove it. She merely sighed when it turned out he had a beautiful singing voice. She was past being surprised by his never-ending list of abilities.

He woke up when they were on the outskirts of town and gave her a sleepy, devastating smile.

"Our bed," he instructed monosyllabically.

"What?" she asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"Not your bed, not my bed, our bed," he clarified, looking inordinately pleased with himself. "That is where we are sleeping tonight. Just you, me, and what I'm sure will be a majorly pissed off kitty just dying for some attention."

"You're sure you wouldn't rather have the bed to yourself?" she fretted. "Just until you've - ow!"

Lanie cut off her questing as Magnus reached over and pinched her nipple, hard. 

"You're lucky we're at a stop light!" she told him, rubbing her breast.

"Hmm... be a doll and keep doing that," he smiled, watching her hand. "Do not think you are going anywhere tonight other than our bed. I fully intend to fall asleep and wake up with you in my arms. I'm afraid I might not be good for much else - the paramedic you insisted I consult seems to think I need to rest before I attack you - but at least I can feel you against me. And while I'm issuing warnings, do not think that just because it has been delayed you are getting out of your punishment. I have plans for you, lovely, and when I am done with you you will be begging for mercy."

"I'll be begging for something," she answered, feeling the heat between her legs. She loved it when he got all possessive.

They pulled into the lot of his complex and Lanie grabbed her small toiletry bag. Magnus had declared that they would come back to get the large suitcases out of the trunk tomorrow and she didn't have the energy or the inclination to argue. As the reached the top of the staircase to his floor, Lanie shrieked as he leaned down and swept her up into his arms, carrying her down the hall to his apartment door despite her protests. She had to reach into his jeans pocket to retrieve his key, which made him groan in what she thought must be exaggerated desire, and she giggled as she unlocked the door. It would be so wonderful to finally have him alone again.

Which made the discovery that the apartment was currently occupied a bit of an unpleasant surprise for them both.

***

He should most likely not be carrying her, but damn it he wanted to. She was tiny anyway, compared to him at least, and there was to his mind nothing like the grand romantic gesture. She deserved it. She deserved everything. And he was going to see to it that she got just that. As soon as he had slept for a week or so.

When she dipped her hand into his pocket and he felt the touch of her fingers through the thin layer fabric Magnus began to reconsider listening to the medical advice. After all, he reasoned, a quick tumble before bed would help them both to sleep. It seemed imminently sensible to him, and Lanie was a logical girl; she was bound to see reason, he grinned. 

The light was on. That was wrong. He would never have gone away and left it. And Jan, who had been feeding Cori for him, was a strident conservationist. So Magnus was not as surprised as he should have been when he opened his door to a gathering in his apartment.

"Magnus!" a woman's voice cried out in pleased surprise that quickly turned to a wail at the full sight of him.

"Martinsson!" a man's voice added, shocked.

Magnus looked up in terror. The armed assailants earlier that day had not filled him with as much trepidation as the sight now before him. Clustered in his tiny living room, making it look even more ridiculously small, were Jan, Anne-Britt, Wallander, and, as if that weren't bad enough, both of his parents. And Cori, the cat clawing at his ankle prompted him to add. Magnus stood there, stunned, in the door way, holding up Lanie and stared at them all in turn. A frantic wrap to his shoulder brought him back to his senses and he quickly set his girl down with less than his usual grace.

"Mum! Dad!" he said, as his mother ran over to give him a hug that he tried his best not to visibly wince from. "What are you doing here? And Kurt... Did something happen? Is everyone -"

"Everyone's fine," Anne-Britt broke in, a slightly apologetic look in her eye.

"Then, forgive me, but what are you all doing here?"

"Is that any way to greet us?" his mother scolded, holding his face and peering in horror at his injuries. "My darling boy, what happened to you?"

"I was on a case, Mum," he said in exasperation, pulling his face out of her hands. 

"Let the boy breath," his father said, coming over to shake his hand. "You look a bit worse for wear there, son. I trust the other gentleman looks worse?"

"He does, sir," Magnus nodded with a tinge of pride.

"That's my boy."

"Gentleman?" Kurt said, confused, "We were told the perpetrators were two older women."

"You were beaten by old ladies?" his mother gasped.

"No, Mum," he said, glaring at Anne-Britt and Jan who seemed to be both hiding giggles. "And yes, Kurt, the killers were a pair of senior women. This happened before we had figured that out. In the course of the investigation."

"I see," his prickly superior looked like he certainly did not see, but the last thing Magnus felt like doing now was providing a play by play of the week. "And Miss Greyson here? Was she similarly injured? Is that why you felt the need to carry her?"

"Sorry," Anne-Britt mouthed to them, and Magnus closed his eyes for a moment. This was most decided not how he wanted to tell any of them. 

"Jan," he said, deciding to start with the easiest, "what are you doing here?"

"Just feeding the cat, mate," his friend said, raising his hands in defense. "You weren't due back until tomorrow night, so I stopped in to check on Cori here. Stayed to give the little critter some affection, so I was here when your parents arrived. Recognized them from last time, of course, so I let them in."

"You didn't tell us you were going out of town, Magnus," his mother scolded him.

"I'm not nine, Mum," he said, realizing that was just how he sounded. "I don't need to check in with you when I'm away on a case."

"A case," she echoed, looking pointedly from him to Lanie, "is that what you call it? We heard all about your little excursion, so don't pretend you were away on work matters, young man."

"Actually, he was," Anne-Britt jumped in, trying to do damage control. "Magnus was working undercover at the Haas estate gathering. And a fine job he did of it too. Caught the killers, saved Ms. Greyson and another officer. Due for a commendation, I'd say."

Magnus gave her a thankful smile, but the scowl Kurt was throwing him made his heart sink. Lord, he needed to think. He needed quiet, and peace, and Lanie in his bed. Why were all these people here?

"I take it you are the Ms. Greyson we've heard so much about?" his father asked jovially, offering Lanie his hand.

"Lanie, please," she answered shyly, looking as though she wanted to be anywhere else.

"Leo Martinsson, at your service," his father said with a twinkle in his eye. "This is my wife, Norell."

"It's nice to meet you both," she smiled tentatively.

"So you were part of this investigation," his mother asked, cornering his poor girl. "Are you a police officer as well?"

"Oh, come off it, Mum, you know she's not," Magnus sighed. He was done. He was too tired to deal with any of them.

"Ms. Greyson was a witness under Detective Martinsson's protection," Kurt chimed in. "Which begs the question, Magnus, what is the girl doing here now that the case is closed, and why were you carrying her?"

"I... I gave the detective a ride home," Lanie tried valiantly, if lamely.

"Lovely, hush," he told her.

" _Mags_ ," she hissed at him under her breath.

"No, Lanie, it's okay. I'm done. I have been beat up, shot at, had my love threatened, been propositioned by a pair of old villainesses... I am  _done_."

Pulling Lanie across the room to his sofa, he threw himself down onto it and yanked her down onto his lap. Seeing a pint of ale on the table in front of him, he picked it up and drank it down in one long pull, not caring whose it was.

"Now," he said, looking at everyone in turn, "let me say this once. Lanie is my girl, and as of ten minutes ago she lives here. Hush Mum! She lives here. Yes, I broke the rules Kurt, and tomorrow afternoon - because I will not be in tomorrow morning, doctor's orders - if you want to fire me for that you can. But right at this moment, I need to sleep. Lanie needs to sleep. And you are all keeping us from doing so. So, as much as we would love to stay up and entertain you all, we are going to do no such thing. Mum, Dad, there Jan can show you where the Emerson hotel is. I promise you that you can survive there for one night. I would offer to put you up here, but the bed is spoken for, and Dad would never fit on the sofa. Trust me, I know. Now, unless Kurt wants to arrest me, I am taking my girl to bed, so you can all show yourselves out the same way you showed yourselves in. Lanie, come."

When she didn't move fast enough for him, Magnus picked her up again and slung her over her shoulder and carried her to the bedroom, thanking Anne-Britt along the way for opening the door for him. Really, he would miss working with her if lost her job over this. He truly didn't care though otherwise. All he cared about was in his arms. He would deal with the rest of the world tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are reaching the end for Magnus and Lanie. Just one or two chapters left to tie up loose ends, my dears! Thank you all so much for reading!!! Love you!!!
> 
>  
> 
> ps - my Betrayal tickets are purchased and TWH is in my city, a handful of subway stops away. If you sense silent screaming, that is me trying to keep my level of excitement from my real life hubs over my imaginary boyfriend. He knows, of course, but there's no need to rub it in. ;-)


End file.
